Engaging in Dangerous Activities

From Halachipedia

Smoking

  1. Most poskim hold that it is forbidden to smoke. [1]

Injuring oneself

  1. It is absolutely forbidden to commit suicide and it is a very serious sin because Hashem didn't give us our bodies and lives to do with them whatever we like.[2]
  2. It is forbidden to injure or cause a wound to oneself.[3] If it is done for health purposes there is a discussion if it is permitted.[4]
  3. It is absolutely forbidden to hit or injure someone else.[5] In fact it is forbidden to insinuate that one is going to hit another Jew and one who does so is considered wicked.[6]

Paintballing

  1. As explained earlier, it is absolutely forbidden to hit or injure someone else. There is a dispute whether one can allow someone else to injure oneself. A direct ramification of this dispute is whether it would be permitted to go paintballing knowing that it is very likely one will be injured but in advance agrees to it.[7]

Donating Blood

  1. Many poskim permit donating blood even though it involves inflicting a wound upon oneself. [8]

Piercings and Tattoos

Regarding piercings and tattoos see the Tattoos_&_Body_Piercing page.

Sources

  1. ↑ Sh"t Tzitz Eliezer 17:21, Rav Chaim Kanievsky in Sheeilat Rav 1:52, Sh"t Teshuvot Vehanhagot 4:115, Rav Nisim Karelitz in a letter at the beginning of the book "Chaim Le-lo Ishun", Chacham Ovadia Yosef in Maran Peer Hador pg. 31, Teshuva of the RCA, Rabbi Chaim Jachter
  2. ↑ The Midrash (Beresheet Rabba 34:5) learns from the pasuk that it is forbidden to commit suicide.
  3. ↑ Panim Yafot (Devarim 14:1) writes that it is forbidden to injure oneself based on Beresheet 9:1.
  4. ↑ Under certain circumstances, Igrot Moshe CM 2:65-66 permitted plastic surgery for aesthetic purposes.
  5. ↑ The pasuk (Devarim 25:3) warns against hitting a guilty sinner more than necessary. Chazal learn from here the general prohibition to hit any Jew, since if the Torah forbids hitting a sinner how much more so anyone else. This is considered a negative commandment by the Rambam (Lavin n. 300) and Sefer HaChinuch (n. 595).
  6. ↑ Chazal (Sanhedrin 58b) learn from Moshe that a Jew who raises his hand to hit another Jew is considered wicked. This is quoted by the Rambam (Sefer HaMitzvot lavin n. 300).
  7. ↑ Rabbi Yehuda Balsam outlines a dispute between the Minchat Chinuch and Turei Even who hold that it is permitted to allow someone else to injure oneself and S"A HaRav who forbids this. He writes that a practical application of this dispute is whether it is permitted to go paintballing.
  8. ↑ Igrot Moshe CM 1:103, Nishmat Avraham YD 349:3
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