Navigating Shabbat with ADHD Medications: What You Need to Know

My 12-year-old son takes medication daily for ADHD in order to function properly. I am unsure whether he may take it on Shabbat, as it significantly suppresses his appetite and prevents him from enjoying the Shabbat meals. Is there a halachic difference between children before and after Bar Mitzvah?

The Torah states, “and you shall call Shabbat a delight,” from which the Sages teach that there is a mitzvah to delight in Shabbat through foods and drinks one enjoys. Accordingly, a father is obligated to educate his young children, beginning around the age of six or seven, to participate in the three Shabbat meals, so that they will be accustomed to fulfilling the mitzvah of oneg Shabbat when they reach age of Bar Mitzvah. For this reason, it would generally be preferable to avoid medication that suppresses appetite.

However, since the purpose of eating the Shabbat meals is to create oneg Shabbat, if eating itself causes distress, the obligation does not apply. For example, someone who fasts all week and finds eating on Shabbat distressing due to habit may fast on Shabbat, even though this means not fulfilling the mitzvah of Shabbat meals. Similarly, if withholding ADHD medication causes distress to the child and his family, the child may take the medication on Shabbat, even if it results in a loss of appetite and the inability to participate in the Shabbat meals.

This applies to children below Bar Mitzvah age. For those who are Bar Mitzvah age or older, administering the medication is permitted only if not taking it causes distress to the child himself. If the distress is limited to the family due to the child’s behavior, or if the child wishes to take the medication solely to improve concentration for studies or prayer, it should not be taken. In such cases, the medication should instead be administered after the Shabbat morning meal, allowing the child to eat at least some cake or fruit at the third meal.

In summary, it is permissible to administer medication on Shabbat to a child below Bar Mitzvah age, even if it leads to appetite loss and the inability to eat Shabbat meals. For those who are Bar Mitzvah age or older, it is permitted only if refraining from the medication causes personal distress to the child. If the child does not experience such distress, the medication should be given after the Shabbat meal. For further details and sources, see Kedem Rav, Halachic Section, Laws of Shabbat.

Rabbi Moshe Shmuel Dayan is the author of the forthcoming book Kedem Rav.