עברית
Women
Halachic Ruling on Pumping Milk on Shabbat for an Infant Who Also Consumes Formula
Question
Hello, My daughter is about four months old. For various reasons, I was unable to nurse her, but it was important to me that she receive breast milk. Since then, she has been feeding on formula and at least two portions of expressed milk daily. Initially, I manually pumped milk on Shabbat, then I was told that this is forbidden—it's a melacha of "m'farek" (extracting). Later, I heard that pumping with an electric pump operated by a Shabbat timer is problematic because she also consumes formula. I cannot avoid pumping on Shabbat at all because:
1. It causes engorgement.
2. It decreases milk production. On the other hand, I understand that milk pumped on Shabbat must be discarded. Is this true? I am genuinely fighting for every portion of pumped milk. I would appreciate a detailed answer on this matter. Thank you very much.
Answer
Hello, The halacha is as follows: It is forbidden to pump milk on Shabbat due to the prohibition of "m'farek," which is a derivative of the melacha of threshing (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 326:34 and Mishnah Berurah there). However, if the woman experiences discomfort from an excess of milk, it is permitted to pump it in a way that the milk is lost—for example, if it is spilled onto the floor or into the sink (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 335:8, and Mishnah Berurah 42). Likewise, it is permitted to pump milk with an electric pump operated by a Shabbat timer on the condition that a substance such as soap was placed into the bottle beforehand to spoil the milk (Shmiras Shabbos Kehilchasah, Part 1, Chapter 36, Section 21; Chazon Ovadia Shabbat, Part 3, page 774). Only in the case that the infant cannot nurse directly from the mother and cannot consume formula is pumping milk on Shabbat permitted for feeding the child (see Shmiras Shabbos Kehilchasah, ibid, Section 22). Even then, one should strive ideally to pump before Shabbat begins. Therefore, in your case, since the infant consumes formula, you are permitted to pump milk on Shabbat only if the milk would otherwise be lost.
Blessings, Hillel Meirs
