Preservation of Life in Judaism
Judaism places a high value on life. It is therefore permitted to disregard all but three of Judaism's 613 mitzvot (religious requirements) when a life is in danger. This rule is founded on the Biblical statement: “You shall keep my decrees and my laws that a person will do and live by them, I am God.” (Leviticus 18:5) The Rabbis deduced from this verse that one should not die rather than transgress the mitzvot. This verse is the source of the doctrine that one should not endanger one's life to keep a mitzvah.
Additionally, Leviticus 19:16 states, “You shall not stand by the blood of your fellow.” The Talmud derives from this verse that one must do everything in his or her power to save the life of another Jew, even if this involves violation of one or more of the mitzvot. If it is the life of a non-Jew or apostate Jew that is in danger, the law is not so clear, and is the matter of some debate, however it is certainly within the spirit of the law, if not the letter. This also touches on Judaism's views regarding other religions; see Jewish views of religious pluralism.
Read more about this topic: Self-sacrifice In Jewish Law
Famous quotes containing the words preservation of, preservation, life and/or judaism:
“There is something to be said for jealousy, because it only designs the preservation of some good which we either have or think we have a right to. But envy is a raging madness that cannot bear the wealth or fortune of others.”
—François, Duc De La Rochefoucauld (1613–1680)
“If there is ANY THING which it is the duty of the WHOLE PEOPLE to never entrust to any hands but their own, that thing is the preservation and perpetuity, of their own liberties, and institutions.”
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865)
“One’s real life is so often the life that one does not lead.”
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900)
“Christianity is the religion of melancholy and hypochondria. Islam, on the other hand, promotes apathy, and Judaism instills its adherents with a certain choleric vehemence, the heathen Greeks may well be called happy optimists.”
—Franz Grillparzer (1791–1872)