By Rabbi Berach Steinfeld
In Vayikra 21:1 the torah teaches us that a kohen can not become tamei. The question one can ask is may a Kohen become a doctor? He may become tamei upon treating a very sick person. Another question is if there are two doctors one a Kohen and one isn’t, may the Kohen treat a person on his deathbed or should he defer to the other doctor?
The Chasam Sofer in Yoreh Deah 338 says that we cannot forbid a Kohen from becoming a doctor. This is despite the fact that he may become tamei later on upon treating a person on his death bed. His psak is based on the Ramban in Meseches Shabbos that a Mitzva is only in the time the Mitzva is in effect therefore one can do a bris on Shabbos despite the fact that there is no hot water and subsequently they will need to cook water. At the time of the bris one need not make this cheshbon. So too a Kohen can become a doctor and not worry that in the future he may become tamei.
The Chasam Sofer then says that the Raya is not as clear as when it comes to a bris he has a mitzvah at that time to do the bris whereas a doctor does not have a mitzvah to b become a doctor.
He brings another proof from the fact that one is not allowed to travel on a boat less than three days before Shabbos as he might be mechalel Shabbos. But in the case of a doctor when he learns how to become a doctor he need not worry that later on he might have to treat someone on his deathbed.
The Shevet Halevi in vol 2:164 says that a Kohen can join Hatzalah and one does not need to worry that a while later he will become tamei.
Regarding the question of two doctors and one of them is a kohen The Shailos utshuvos Bais Yaakov 130 says it would be forbidden as it is only a safek if he will be able to save him. He brings proof from Tosfos question in Bava Metziya 114b how could Eliyahu Hanavi be mechayei meisim the son of Shunamis if he was a kohen? Tosfos answers that he was sure he would bring him back to life so we see if there is a safek then a kohen would be forbidden.
The Nachlas Tzvi in Yoreh Deah 370 argues and says that Tosfos did not require that Eliyahu Hanavi be sure that he would bring him back to life. Even if there was a small chance one has to do pikuach nefesh. It was just in that case where it was a great miracle of techiyas hameisim that he needed to be confident that he could b ring him back. Tosfos in Nida 44b says that one could be mechalel Shabbos even on a goses that is despite the fact that the majority of gosesim die nevertheless even on a safek one has to do everything to save a life. The Chasam Sofer in Yoreh Deah 338 that a Kohen can do anything to save someone but in the event there is another doctor the kohen would be forbidden to go in. The Shevet Halevi vol3 164 agrees that if the doctors are both on the same level and they would use the same medicine, then the kohen should refrain from treating a goseis!
May we all be zocheh to never need doctors or Hatzalah!
