Saving Lives on Shabbos vol. 4, no. 5
One is obligated to desecrate Shabbos if necessary in order to save a fellow Jew’s life.1 This applies even to prolong someone’s life for a short time.
A dangerously ill person who does not want anyone to desecrate Shabbos on his behalf should be told that it is a mitzvah to desecrate Shabbos in such a case. If he still refuses he must be forced to allow others to save him.
When Shabbos has to be desecrated for a sick person, one should not use a gentile to perform the necessary procedures in order to try to minimize the desecration of Shabbos.
If one desecrated Shabbos for a person in danger and in the meantime he was healed, or saved by someone else, or passed away, he has performed a very important mitzvah nevertheless.
Shabbos is desecrated for a person who doctors diagnose as deathly sick, or even possibly going to die, or has a condition that might become dangerous if not dealt with immediately. If an individual perceives his own situation to be dangerous, even if doctors do not concur, one must desecrate Shabbos for him.
One must desecrate Shabbos for a person who suffers from the following : a very high fever accompanied with pain before the disease has been diagnosed; a fever which is caused by an internal injury; an internal injury, hemorrhaging, strong internal pain from an unknown reason which might be dangerous; an compound fracture or split skull or internal breakage; a wound on the back of the hand or foot which could damage the blood vessels; a deep wound caused by a knife or other metal instrument; an infected wound which could become dangerous; a wound which arouses suspicion of poisoning; a serious burn; a sting from which he is allergic; a rabid animal bite; poison; concussion. This list only includes a handful of the myriad of situations to which these halachos apply.
Someone who has a dangerous contagious disease may be transported away from others to protect them. One may desecrate Shabbos even if he is not sure he will be protecting anyone by his actions.
If a wall collapsed and there is even a slight doubt that someone might be underneath one must desecrate Shabbos to possibly save him.
1) Shmiras Shabbos 32
