Pikuach nefesh: correct. We are not only allowed but required to violate any torah law (except for three) in order to save a human life. The classic story in the talmud about this is when a young boy who couldn't afford to pay for school would sit outside the window and listen. One winter Shabbat a snowstorm rolled in, the people inside noticed a dark shape at the window, they found him half-frozen, and the question was: can we light a fire to warm him? To which the answer was: of course. That young boy grew up to become Rabbi Hillel.
The rabbis generally take an expansive view of pikuach nefesh. It's not just "we know this person will die otherwise", but a serious risk is enough. The wife of a then-local Orthodox rabbi went into labor on Shabbat, and the rabbi very visibly paid for a cab to take her to the hospital. (Cab vs. ambulance? I don't know.)
There is no prioritization among human lives; except for the rodef (I'll get to that), you cannot kill one person to save another. This is important in the abortion case because the rabbis rule that you can and must abort if the mother's life is in danger. Judaism values the fetus as potential life, but it does not yet have the standing of an actual, born human. How much danger is needed is a matter of argument; I don't know of any rabbis who support abortion on demand "just because I wanna", but I know of some who sanction an abortion even when the pregnancy will probably "only" do serious harm and might not actually kill the mother. That's where that tweet is coming from: if you're the pregnant person seeking rabbinic guidance, your rabbi is going to take into account all the details of your situation -- the effect of the pregnancy on your mental health, your family's stability, genetic issues, your own risks in delivering, and so on.
A rodef is a pursuer; if somebody is attacking someone else with intent to kill that person, then the target (or a bystander) may use any means necessary to stop the attack, including killing the rodef if necessary. (Obviously we prefer it if the attack can be stopped non-lethally.) By choosing to attempt to commit murder, the rodef gives up his equal standing. This isn't an argument for "stand your ground" or the like; this is about defense against a clear, imminent threat of death.
The three prohibitions you cannot violate to save a life: murder, public idolatry, and sexual transgressions. If somebody points a gun to your head and says "eat the bacon cheeseburger or else", you eat. If the person says "kill so-and-so or I'll kill you", you take the bullet.
Uh, this ramble/info dump would be stronger with sources, but I'm doing this off the top of my head and it's late, so... sorry 'bout that.
(no subject)
Pikuach nefesh: correct. We are not only allowed but required to violate any torah law (except for three) in order to save a human life. The classic story in the talmud about this is when a young boy who couldn't afford to pay for school would sit outside the window and listen. One winter Shabbat a snowstorm rolled in, the people inside noticed a dark shape at the window, they found him half-frozen, and the question was: can we light a fire to warm him? To which the answer was: of course. That young boy grew up to become Rabbi Hillel.
The rabbis generally take an expansive view of pikuach nefesh. It's not just "we know this person will die otherwise", but a serious risk is enough. The wife of a then-local Orthodox rabbi went into labor on Shabbat, and the rabbi very visibly paid for a cab to take her to the hospital. (Cab vs. ambulance? I don't know.)
There is no prioritization among human lives; except for the rodef (I'll get to that), you cannot kill one person to save another. This is important in the abortion case because the rabbis rule that you can and must abort if the mother's life is in danger. Judaism values the fetus as potential life, but it does not yet have the standing of an actual, born human. How much danger is needed is a matter of argument; I don't know of any rabbis who support abortion on demand "just because I wanna", but I know of some who sanction an abortion even when the pregnancy will probably "only" do serious harm and might not actually kill the mother. That's where that tweet is coming from: if you're the pregnant person seeking rabbinic guidance, your rabbi is going to take into account all the details of your situation -- the effect of the pregnancy on your mental health, your family's stability, genetic issues, your own risks in delivering, and so on.
A rodef is a pursuer; if somebody is attacking someone else with intent to kill that person, then the target (or a bystander) may use any means necessary to stop the attack, including killing the rodef if necessary. (Obviously we prefer it if the attack can be stopped non-lethally.) By choosing to attempt to commit murder, the rodef gives up his equal standing. This isn't an argument for "stand your ground" or the like; this is about defense against a clear, imminent threat of death.
The three prohibitions you cannot violate to save a life: murder, public idolatry, and sexual transgressions. If somebody points a gun to your head and says "eat the bacon cheeseburger or else", you eat. If the person says "kill so-and-so or I'll kill you", you take the bullet.
Uh, this ramble/info dump would be stronger with sources, but I'm doing this off the top of my head and it's late, so... sorry 'bout that.
(no subject)
Thanks.