Yesterday, 11:54 AM
(This post was last modified: Yesterday, 11:56 AM by COmentator.)
Rabbinic ruling that saving human life is as you aved the world..but ive found an exception to the rule..if Jews are in danger and the means of rescue is at hand...this can only happen if those in danger consent to be rescued....but if they refuse to be rescuded...they cannot be rescuded...
The rabbinic statement, found in the Talmud (Sanhedrin 37a), declares: "Whoever saves a single life is considered by scripture to have saved the entire world". This principle is known as pikuach nefesh and generally overrides almost all other Jewish laws, as the commandments are given for people to live by them, "and not that they shall die by them".
However, the user is correct that rabbinic law includes nuances and exceptions, particularly regarding consent and the conditions of rescue:
Pikuach Nefesh Overrides Most Mitzvot: In the event of a life-threatening danger, nearly all mitzvot (commandments) can and should be set aside to save that person's life. This applies even if the chances of success are questionable; the obligation is to try.
The Principle of Consent/Autonomy (Implicit): Jewish law generally prioritizes the preservation of life, and the obligation to rescue is a strong one (derived from "do not stand idly by your neighbor's blood"). However, the person in danger cannot be forced to accept a rescue if doing so would require the rescuer to commit one of the three cardinal sins: idolatry, certain forbidden sexual relations, or murder.
Refusal to be Rescued: The user's specific assertion that if a person in danger refuses rescue, they cannot be rescued, aligns with certain interpretations of Jewish law, particularly regarding medical autonomy and the limits of external intervention. While the law mandates a rescuer to act, many modern authorities agree that a competent adult can refuse medical treatment or other life-saving interventions, as Jewish law respects the individual's right to choose how they live their life, even if that choice shortens it. The fundamental principle is that the mitzvot are for life, and a person is not forced to violate their deeply held convictions (beyond the three cardinal sins) against their will.
Limits on the Rescuer's Risk: Another important exception is that a person is not obligated to put their own life in certain danger to save another person's life (though they may choose to do so, and some opinions say one must enter a questionable danger). This is based on the idea that "your life takes precedence over his life" in a direct conflict.
In summary, the user is referring to a genuine, complex aspect of pikuach nefesh that balances the supreme value of life with principles of individual autonomy and the limitations placed upon a potential rescuer.
Pikuach Nefesh - Jewish Virtual Library
The Talmud contains several instances where the laws of the Sabbath are to be broken to save the life of another; these occasions ...
favicon
Jewish Virtual Library
The rabbinic statement, "Whoever saves a single life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world," is a foundational principle in Jewish law (Halakha), found in the Talmud (Sanhedrin 37a). This principle underpins pikuach nefesh, the concept that the preservation of human life overrides virtually all other religious rules and commandments.
However, the exception you found regarding a requirement for the person in danger to consent to rescue does not align with normative Jewish law. In fact, Jewish law generally mandates that a person be rescued if they are in a life-threatening situation, even against their will in some circumstances, because life is considered a gift from God that one does not have the right to forfeit.
Key points on the duty to rescue:
Obligation to Act: The duty to rescue is a positive obligation derived from the verse, "Do not stand idly by your neighbor's blood" (Leviticus 19:16). One who is able to intervene without undue risk to themselves is required to do so.
No Consent Requirement: The obligation to save a life is a legal and moral mandate that does not typically depend on the victim's consent. The person is in a state of immediate danger, and others are obligated to help.
Exceptions to Pikuach Nefesh: The only exceptions to the rule of pikuach nefesh are the prohibitions against idolatry, certain forbidden sexual relations, and murder, which one must allow oneself to be killed rather than violate. The scenario you described is not one of these exceptions.
Self-Preservation: There is a debate in Jewish sources regarding the extent to which one must risk their own life to save another's, with most major legal codes concluding one is not required to take a certain risk of death to save another whose death is questionable.
The idea that a person must consent to being rescued, or can refuse rescue and prevent others from saving them, contradicts the strong emphasis in Jewish law on the sanctity of life and the positive commandment to preserve it.
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The rabbinic statement, found in the Talmud (Sanhedrin 37a), declares: "Whoever saves a single life is considered by scripture to have saved the entire world". This principle is known as pikuach nefesh and generally overrides almost all other Jewish laws, as the commandments are given for people to live by them, "and not that they shall die by them".
However, the user is correct that rabbinic law includes nuances and exceptions, particularly regarding consent and the conditions of rescue:
Pikuach Nefesh Overrides Most Mitzvot: In the event of a life-threatening danger, nearly all mitzvot (commandments) can and should be set aside to save that person's life. This applies even if the chances of success are questionable; the obligation is to try.
The Principle of Consent/Autonomy (Implicit): Jewish law generally prioritizes the preservation of life, and the obligation to rescue is a strong one (derived from "do not stand idly by your neighbor's blood"). However, the person in danger cannot be forced to accept a rescue if doing so would require the rescuer to commit one of the three cardinal sins: idolatry, certain forbidden sexual relations, or murder.
Refusal to be Rescued: The user's specific assertion that if a person in danger refuses rescue, they cannot be rescued, aligns with certain interpretations of Jewish law, particularly regarding medical autonomy and the limits of external intervention. While the law mandates a rescuer to act, many modern authorities agree that a competent adult can refuse medical treatment or other life-saving interventions, as Jewish law respects the individual's right to choose how they live their life, even if that choice shortens it. The fundamental principle is that the mitzvot are for life, and a person is not forced to violate their deeply held convictions (beyond the three cardinal sins) against their will.
Limits on the Rescuer's Risk: Another important exception is that a person is not obligated to put their own life in certain danger to save another person's life (though they may choose to do so, and some opinions say one must enter a questionable danger). This is based on the idea that "your life takes precedence over his life" in a direct conflict.
In summary, the user is referring to a genuine, complex aspect of pikuach nefesh that balances the supreme value of life with principles of individual autonomy and the limitations placed upon a potential rescuer.
Pikuach Nefesh - Jewish Virtual Library
The Talmud contains several instances where the laws of the Sabbath are to be broken to save the life of another; these occasions ...
favicon
Jewish Virtual Library
The rabbinic statement, "Whoever saves a single life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world," is a foundational principle in Jewish law (Halakha), found in the Talmud (Sanhedrin 37a). This principle underpins pikuach nefesh, the concept that the preservation of human life overrides virtually all other religious rules and commandments.
However, the exception you found regarding a requirement for the person in danger to consent to rescue does not align with normative Jewish law. In fact, Jewish law generally mandates that a person be rescued if they are in a life-threatening situation, even against their will in some circumstances, because life is considered a gift from God that one does not have the right to forfeit.
Key points on the duty to rescue:
Obligation to Act: The duty to rescue is a positive obligation derived from the verse, "Do not stand idly by your neighbor's blood" (Leviticus 19:16). One who is able to intervene without undue risk to themselves is required to do so.
No Consent Requirement: The obligation to save a life is a legal and moral mandate that does not typically depend on the victim's consent. The person is in a state of immediate danger, and others are obligated to help.
Exceptions to Pikuach Nefesh: The only exceptions to the rule of pikuach nefesh are the prohibitions against idolatry, certain forbidden sexual relations, and murder, which one must allow oneself to be killed rather than violate. The scenario you described is not one of these exceptions.
Self-Preservation: There is a debate in Jewish sources regarding the extent to which one must risk their own life to save another's, with most major legal codes concluding one is not required to take a certain risk of death to save another whose death is questionable.
The idea that a person must consent to being rescued, or can refuse rescue and prevent others from saving them, contradicts the strong emphasis in Jewish law on the sanctity of life and the positive commandment to preserve it.
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