1. We mentioned last week that individuals suffering from certain mental healh conditions, such as severe depression, may be classified as choleh she’ein bo sakanah. In such cases, one should consult with a rabbinic authority, but in principle, many poskim permit listening to music on Shabbat if it serves to calm the individual. The music should be activated on a listening device before Shabbat, and headphones may then be plugged in as needed, in order to avoid disturbing others who are observing Shabbat (“Nafshi B’she’elati” 7:26, citing R. Yaakov Ariel, R. Nachum Rabinovitch, R. Hershel Schachter, and R. Mordechai Willig, among others).

2. Individuals suffering from severe depression may also play games on Shabbat, even according to those poskim who normally forbid playing games on Shabbat. However, they may not write on Shabbat unless they are experiencing potentially suicidal thoughts. In such cases, they should write with a shinui or with erasable ink. Some also permit them to type on a computer in cases of need (Ibid., 7:25, 35).

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Dedicated by Fran Broder as a zechus for everlasting peace in Eretz Yisrael in the merit of learning Hilchos Shabbos.