Hello, continuing the laws of bloodshed from the book "Brit Shalom." Last time, we discussed situations where, seemingly, it would be permissible for a person to end the life of another, such as a soldier in the army of his country.
What happens in cases of pikuach nefesh (saving a life)? As is well known, in Judaism, the halacha is that saving a life overrides the fulfillment of all commandments except for three. That is, if, for example, a Jew is told, "Either you will worship idolatry or we will kill you," the Jew must choose death and not worship idolatry. The same applies to incest and bloodshed: they are told, "Either you will commit incest, or we will kill you. Or you will kill, or we will kill you." In these situations, the person must give up their life and not commit these transgressions.
What is the ruling for non-Jews? Since there is no mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem (sanctification of God's name) for non-Jews, that is, no obligation of self-sacrifice, is there a difference between idolatry and incest on one hand, and bloodshed on the other? This is discussed in sections 15 and 16 of the text.
If someone is threatened with death unless they kill, they are not permitted to kill, even if it means they will be killed instead. This is the argument that was made by Nazi officers during World War II, claiming they killed because they received orders, even though these orders were clearly and comprehensively against basic moral principles. According to Jewish law, this excuse is not acceptable. It is preferable, even for a non-Jew, to be killed than to kill.
However, the difference with Jewish law for non-Jews is that if they are coerced into committing idolatry or incest, they are allowed to transgress, and they are not obligated to give up their life to avoid doing so. What does this mean? They can choose to give up their life to avoid idolatry, bloodshed, or incest, but they are not obligated to do so, unlike the absolute obligation for Jews.
