Hearing aids on Shabbos

Igros (OC IV #85) Question  Regarding the use of hearing aides on Shabbos is the use of a microphone prohibited? Answer  The practice in America is to be lenient even though we prohibit using a microphone in a pa system and there are four reasons Two of the reasons are based on the fact that the prohibited work involved is not clear and two involve the fact that the prohibitions that are clearly transgressed are Rabbinic not Torah prohibitions. One of the reasons to prohibit using a microphone is that it makes a noise and this is like grinding wheat on Shabbos and is considered disrespectful to Shabbos and this only applies where the noise is heard by everyone. In contrast the hearing aid which is not heard by everyone is not included in this prohibition. Another prohibition is the prohibition of adjusting a musical instrument. This also does not apply to a hearing aide since it is only for the hard of hearing and since this is not common no decree was made for it. Additionally a hearing aide is a very great need to those who use them and can even be viewed as Pikuach nefesh (life saving) when they go out of their homes and need to hear whether there is traffic and thus we can assume there is no decree of prohibition in such cases as there is with a regular microphone. .  Another issue involved is the nature of the sound that comes from a pa system. Furthermore it is not the actual sound of the person speaking into the microphone that the system produces. This is also true with a hearing aide.  It is unclear what the issur of making a reproduction of a voice.  Consequently we can not prohibit this to a handicapped person who has a great need for it. Also because the main benefit of a hearing aide is not necessarily amplifying the sound but rather directing the sound directly into the ear though it might also help that the sound is amplified. However since this is not clear even to the experts this adds another uncertainty. The other concern is the use of electricity which might be a type of fire. This is also an unclear prohibition or even a clear doubt. Because of this uncertainty we don’t prohibit that which is greatly needed. It is important to note that the hearing aide is resting in the ear of the user who is actually doing nothing and thus the real question is whether it is permissible to speak to a person with a hearing aide. If a person is not talking only to a person with a hearing aide but to a group of people  and the hearing aide user hears what is said to others thus since there is no intent to utilize the hearing aide it is permitted. This is not even a psik reisha since often the deaf person knows what is being said to him even without a hearing aide.  It would be a possible psik reisha for the speaker if he intends only for the person with a hearing aide to hear what he says. Consequently when it is possible the speaker should avoid speaking only with someone who has a hearing aide. The hearing aide can thus be of benefit for most things that he needs to hear such as the sound of traffic or what is going on in shul. It is best that when people answer his questions they avoid answering with words but they should  respond nonverbally, however if that is not realistic if for example  he is a child of six who must be answered and at times only words can be used than there is no prohibition in speaking to him