[Avodah] Medicine on Yom Kippur

[Prof. L. Levine]

>From today's OU Kosher Halacha Yomis


Q. May a person who is ill, but is not in mortal danger (choleh she’ein bo sakana) consume unsweetened medicine on Yom Kippur?

A. This is the subject of a dispute between the Acharonim. According to Shaagas Aryeh (75-76), one is not permitted to take medicine on Yom Kippur. Even though medicine is not a “food”, and the prohibition to consume medicine is Rabbinic in nature – which is normally waived for people who are ill, nonetheless, by swallowing the pill , the individual demonstrates that he or she considers it as food, and it is therefore forbidden on Yom Kippur. K’sav Sofer (OC 111) strongly disagrees and maintains that consuming medicine when ill does not demonstrate that it is a food item, and therefore medicine may be swallowed on Yom Kippur. Igros Moshe (OC 111:91) concurs with this ruling as well.

If a person must drink water to swallow a pill, contemporary poskim recommend adding a bitter substance to water, such as a significant amount of lemon juice or vinegar, so that the water has a very unpleasant taste. This was the opinion of Rav Ben Tzion Abba Shaul, (Ohr L’Tziyon, IV 15:8), Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv (Ashrei Ha’Ish III 23:230) and Rav Nissim Karelitz (Chut HaShani, Yom Kippur p. 145).

If the pill is sweet, it is considered to be a food independently of its medicinal properties. In such instances, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach advised that the pill should be wrapped in a tissue and swallowed in that manner (Shemira Shabbos KeHilchasa 39:8; Halichos Shlomo, Yom HaKippurim 5:8).

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