Q&A: Writing with an Unusual Method on a Jewish Holiday
Writing with an Unusual Method on a Jewish Holiday
Question
My Jewish friends in their fifth year of medical school have an oral exam on the second day of the holiday (but the first day) of Passover.
They have to show up and orally present several clinical cases. Assuming there is no prohibition involved in that itself (they walk to the university, the whole exam is oral, etc.), besides that they are also required to sign and write their names on an attendance sheet.
Is there any permission to sign with a pen in an unusual manner? I should mention that in any case there is a makeup date, but of course with the risk of failing and having to repeat the year.
Answer
It is hard to permit something like this. If it is meaningless scribbling that would count as a signature — fine. But writing two letters is prohibited. True, there is an opinion that permits rabbinic prohibitions in a case of financial loss (Mishneh Mishnah, Sabbath 6:9, in the name of the Raavad). But here it is only a possible loss, so it is difficult to permit it.
Is there no way to explain the problem to the lecturers and find a solution? For example, telling a non-Jew to sign your name — there is room to be lenient about that. And even without the lecturers’ permission, one could ask someone to sign for you.
Discussion on Answer
And asking someone without getting permission for it — is that not possible?
We’ll try…
Thanks 🙂
Thank you. We’ll manage.
Even the Chief Rabbi wasn’t able to get the exam postponed until after the holidays (which he usually does). I don’t know what the dean of the faculty has against them, but they are very closed-off. They don’t even want us to ask someone else to sign for us.