Can a Jew wheel a Jew to shul on Shabbos in a place with no Eiruv?
Answer
Places that have no Eiruv can generally be classified under two different types of areas: Those that are Reshus Harabbim De’oraisah, and those that are considered Carmelis. (Most places today can be classified as Carmelis, though not all, and each individual area needs to to be assessed by Poskim to ascertain what its status is.)
A wheelchair may not be used on Shabbos in a Reshus Harabbim De’oraisah.
In a Carmelis, a Jew may not wheel another Jew in a wheelchair on Shabbos. However, a non-Jew may be asked to wheel the person in a wheelchair to shul or to any other Dvar Mitzvah (including Seudat Shabbat), or if the person in the chair is ill or old and infirm; alternatively the person in the wheelchair may wheel himself. In such instances, anything used for sitting on the chair (such as a cushion to sit on) may be left on the chair, but other items (such as bags hanging from the chair) should be removed before going out, and the person in the wheelchair should also ensure that he is not carrying anything in his pockets.
