[Avodah] Metz on Shabbos for hypospadias, but not otherwise

[Akiva Miller]

R' Meir Rabi wrote:

> Take heating water for the Rach HaNimol as an example. I am
> confident and have verified this with a few doctors here that
> hot water may have some benefits in promoting blood circulation
> and comforting the baby, but unless a medical reason is
> mandated by a doctor, we are not Mechallel Shabbos for this.

If you asked about *hot* water, then what you write seems reasonable to me.

But consider this: Perhaps the medical benefit is not from *hot* water, but from *cooked* water. In other words, pasteurized, disinfected water. Perhaps Chazal saw this benefit in hot water, and did not realize that the benefit remains even after the water has cooled.

I, for one, would not want to wash a newborn with ordinary pre-modern era water that even adults would not drink (preferring to drink wine or beer instead). Perhaps leaving the newborn unwashed might be an option, but if not, then cooking the water on Shabbos seems plausible (though of course I'm not paskening).

Akiva Miller

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