Hello, we continue studying the laws from the book Brit Shalom on the laws of murder. And murder, in the sense of preserving the life of another person, not harming someone else's life. Here, in section 19, I bring a discussion in Jewish law, which might sometimes be theoretical, but it is somewhat tragic. It is mentioned in the Talmud — two people walking in the desert. Walking in the desert is a dangerous place; one needs water to survive, and there is only enough water for one, not both. What should they do?
The Talmud mentions that one of the sages said that they should both drink, and one will see the death of the other. This is very romantic, but it is not the halacha. The halacha, as Rabbi Akiva says, is that the person who has the water should drink it to save themselves, even if by doing so they do not save their companion. And even though the Torah says "Love your neighbor as yourself," it also says "your brother shall live with you," meaning that your life takes precedence over your friend's life.
This needs to be understood. It’s not about selfish reasons for prioritizing yourself. On the contrary, you are in a situation where one of you must live, either you or your friend. The halacha says you have a direct responsibility, first and foremost, to yourself. And this is what I am reading here: "Two people walking in the desert, and one has water sufficient only for his own survival; he is not obligated to give it to his companion, and his life takes precedence over his companion's life."
Let’s be precise: it is written here that he is not obligated to give it to his companion. But if he wants, he can decide that his companion should be the one to live and not himself, with the primary goal being to save at least one life. But in principle, your life takes precedence over your friend's life.
