Ask The Rabbi

Ask The Rabbi

category:  Shabbat

Baby ointment on Shabbat & holidays

My baby suffers from a rash and I must put ointment on her with each diaper change. What should I do on Shabbat and on Yom Kippur? The condition worsens without ointment.

If the ointment for the baby’s rash is liquid that can be dropped on the skin with a dropper, there’s no problem on Shabbat. If, however, it has a creamy texture, it needs to be be squeezed directly from the tube onto the skin, without using fingers to spread it, so that when the diaper (nappy) is closed, it spreads itself. 

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