Violating Torah to Save Your Life: Difference between revisions
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An overarching principle in the Torah is that we do our utmost to preserve life even at the expense of negating a law of the Torah. There are three major exceptions where it is incumbent upon a person to give up his life in order to follow the halacha. Namely, to avoid murder, [[Avoda Zara]], and illicit relations a person should give up his life rather than violate these critical mitzvot. Surrendering one's life in order to uphold the Torah when it is halachically prescribed is a [Kiddush Hashem]], sanctifying Hashem's name, of the highest order.<ref>Rambam Yesodei Hatorah 5:1-7, Maharam Chalavah Pesachim 25a. See Baal Hameor (Pesachim 6a s.v. nimsa) who seems to subscribe to this approach as well.</ref> | An overarching principle in the Torah is that we do our utmost to preserve life even at the expense of negating a law of the Torah. There are three major exceptions where it is incumbent upon a person to give up his life in order to follow the halacha. Namely, to avoid murder, [[Avoda Zara]], and illicit relations a person should give up his life rather than violate these critical mitzvot. Surrendering one's life in order to uphold the Torah when it is halachically prescribed is a [[Kiddush Hashem]], sanctifying Hashem's name, of the highest order.<ref>Rambam Yesodei Hatorah 5:1-7, Maharam Chalavah Pesachim 25a. See Baal Hameor (Pesachim 6a s.v. nimsa) who seems to subscribe to this approach as well.</ref> | ||
==The Big Three== | ==The Big Three== | ||
# If a person's life is threatened unless he violates murder, [[Avoda Zara]], or illicit relations, he may not violate the law. Rather he should die in fulfillment of the mitzvah of [[Kiddush Hashem]], sanctifying Hashem's name.<ref>Gemara Pesachim 25a, Sanhedrin 74b, Rambam Yesodei Hatorah 5:2, Rosh Sanhedrin :3, Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 157:1</ref> The bracha for dying to sanctify Hashem's name is Baruch Atta Hashem Elokenu Melech Haolam Asher Kideshanu Bmitzvotav Likadesh Shemo Brabbim - ברוך אתה ה' אלוקינו מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצוותיו וצוונו לקדש שמו ברבים (trans. Blessed is He, Hashem God of the world, who sanctified us with his mitzvot and commanded us to publicly sanctify His name.) .<Ref>Pitchei Teshuva 157:6 citing Shlah (end of Aleph)</ref> | # If a person's life is threatened unless he violates murder, [[Avoda Zara]], or illicit relations, he may not violate the law. Rather he should die in fulfillment of the mitzvah of [[Kiddush Hashem]], sanctifying Hashem's name.<ref>Gemara Pesachim 25a, Sanhedrin 74b, Rambam Yesodei Hatorah 5:2, Rosh Sanhedrin :3, Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 157:1</ref> The bracha for dying to sanctify Hashem's name is Baruch Atta Hashem Elokenu Melech Haolam Asher Kideshanu Bmitzvotav Likadesh Shemo Brabbim - ברוך אתה ה' אלוקינו מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצוותיו וצוונו לקדש שמו ברבים (trans. Blessed is He, Hashem God of the world, who sanctified us with his mitzvot and commanded us to publicly sanctify His name.) .<Ref>Pitchei Teshuva 157:6 citing Shlah (end of Aleph)</ref> | ||
