Calling an ambulance for a woman about to give birth on Shabbos

Question

If my wife has to go to the hospital on Shabbos to give birth, is it better for me to drive her myself, or is it preferrable to call an ambulance?

Answer

Dear …!

If the ambulance driver is a Jew, it’s preferable that you take your wife yourself. This way you’ll save unnecessary Shabbos desecration by not calling on the phone, and not having the driver drive to your home to pick you up. On the other hand, if the ambulance driver is a gentile, it’s better to call an ambulance. Although you will have to call him on the phone, this is much better than driving yourself, because when you drive a car, you cause thousands of new fuel combustions every minute, (and every time you ignite the fuel, you perform a labor that is forbidden on Shabbos) while calling on the phone is performing forbidden labor only once. Besides that, if you use a gentile driver, he won’t have any problem turning off his car engine once he dropped you off at the hospital.

 

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