Hello and blessings, we continue our study of the book Brit Shalom in the fifth chapter, discussing the preservation of life and the difficult topic of murder.
In this chapter, in section 20, I brought the words of Maimonides, which are not halachic but rather ethical teachings. That is, the foundational idea behind the prohibition of murder – "You shall not murder."
Maimonides writes: "Although there are transgressions more severe than spilling blood, such as idolatry, Maimonides says that although there are more severe transgressions than murder, none cause the destruction of the world’s order like murder does. Even idolatry, and needless to say, illicit relations, are not as severe as murder. These sins are between a person and God. But murder is a transgression between a person and their fellow, and anyone who commits this sin is a complete wicked person. All the good deeds a person may have done in their life are not comparable to the severity of this transgression. They will not save them from judgment."
A person might say, "Yes, I killed, but I’ve done many good things." Maimonides is teaching us that all the good things a person does are not weighed against the severity of this transgression.
Here, we understand that we cannot speak about the service of God or even the preservation of private morality, such as forbidden relationships, without first considering murder. In other words, establishing the relationships between individuals in society must come before all else, because without a healthy society, there is no service to God.
