Q&A: A Question in the Laws of the Sabbath
A Question in the Laws of the Sabbath
Question
Hello Rabbi. I wanted to know whether it is permitted to travel to work / return from work / both on the Sabbath for a job in a government security office. This is shift work, and it is essential to work on the Sabbath as well. There is no organized transportation by a non-Jew like there is in properly run hospitals, and there is no possibility of staying there for the entire Sabbath. Is it permitted to travel to and return from the shift on the Sabbath?
Answer
I understand you to mean that there is no organized option to stay overnight or to travel with a non-Jew, not that it is physically impossible to do so. If there is no possibility, then the answer is simple: it is permitted. After all, this is a case of saving life (based on your description). But if it is merely not organized, then it needs to be organized.