@wordpressme2 If you edit a plugin it can still be updated! The problem is just that your changes might dissappear.
So in a case like this, where the plugin is broken for everyone (which was clear from the forum) you can safely make the patch with the expectation that when the plugin DOES update, the fix will be included and you won’t have to re-add it.
If your change is to add a feature that the developer hasn’t agreed to add to the main branch (a situation I’m often in) that’s when you need to be cautious and re-do your changes after every update.