[Avodah] pikuach nefesh?

[Zev Sero via Avodah]

On 19/01/17 12:06, Micha Berger via Avodah wrote:
> On Thu, Jan 19, 2017 at 08:38:35AM -0800, saul newman wrote:
> : maybe it wasn't so good  to have  O  in the white house.... next hetter ,
> : kashrus?
>
> Riding in a car with a non-Jewish chaufeur would be a shevus.

It's not even 100% clear that it would be a shevus, especially if 
they're not in a car of their own.  The secret service chauffeur will be 
working regardless of whether they're in the car or not. Even if they 
are on their own, that car would probably be driving someone else if 
they were not there.

> So a
> kashrus parallel might be a state function that required eating poultry
> with milk. Eg, some autocrat made a point of obtaining kosher food,
> but then the kitchen didn't know enough to keep the chicken and cheese
> separate once bought. Do you offend the autocrat, or eat it?

With a true autocrat, we have the answer to that.  It's clear halacha 
that askanus needs can justify a heter to drink stam yeinam, to follow 
chukos akum in haircut and clothes, and even to wear shaatnez.

The situation here is not so clear because it's not as if Trump will 
disown them if they politely say they have to leave the inauguration 
early.  On the contrary, all we know about him says that he'd be 
gracious about it.  So the question is what do they hope to achieve by 
staying late that justifies putting themselves in a situation where 
pikuach nefesh will require some possible issurim derabanan, or at least 
some avak issur.

Another factor to bear in mind, though, is that "mimtzo cheftzecha" 
doesn't apply to any issue of askonus, because it's not "cheftzecha". 
This, again, is black letter halacha.



> Actually, this case is more about choosing to be in a position where
> safety requires violating derabbnans. Should they instead choose to be
> less involved in her father's presidency if it means lowering the risk
> and number of piquach nefesh situations.

Lechol hade'os one is allowed on Tuesday to embark on a sea voyage that 
is likely to require pikuach nefesh on Shabbos.   Choosing to be in 
their position was a decision the Kushners made months ago.  The only 
question here is whether, given that they are in their position, may 
they choose late tomorrow afternoon not to go home early enough to avoid 
the issue?


-- 
Zev Sero                May 2017, with its *nine* days of Chanukah,
zev at sero.name           be a brilliant year for us all