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Thursday, March 24, 2011

Why is Your Blood Redder?

Jewish law is unequivocal about murder: it's not allowed under any circumstance, even to save one's own life. Rava (סנהדרין עד, א) said that the reason is logical "what do you see that makes your blood more red than of the other person?" i.e. who says that he is any less worthy of life than you; as such, one must take a passive stance and let themselves be killed rather than actively kill someone else.
The Chinuch has a rather interesting way of explaining this logic:
"Perhaps the other person [whom the first person is being forced to kill at the risk of losing his own life] may be able to perform more mitzvos than you..."
חינוך מצוה רצ"ו

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