(טז) לֹ֥א תַעֲמֹ֖ד עַל־דַּ֣ם רֵעֶ֑ךָ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֽה׃
(16) Do not stand by the blood of your fellow: I am the Eternal.
For this reason, one individual was created first, to teach that anyone who causes one life to be lost from Israel it is as if they have destroyed the entire world. And anyone who saves one life from Israel- it is as if they have preserved an entire world.
Pikuach Nefesh - the saving of a life - is of prime importance in Judaism. So much so
that one may even break the Shabbat in order to preform this mitzvah.
1) Why is causing the life of an individual as if one has destroyed the entire world?
2) Can causing the loss of a life and saving a life ever be in conflict?
3) How can you understand this in terms of gun control?
מתני׳ ואלו הן שמצילין אותן בנפשן הרודף אחר חבירו להרגו...
MISHNA: And these are the ones who are saved from transgressing even at the cost of their lives; that is to say, these people may be killed so that they do not perform a transgression: One who pursues (rodef) another to kill them...
2) In the chaos of a gun attack, how do we know without question who the Rodef is?
3) Is it any person with a gun?
Rabbi Abbahu says: A person should always be among those who are pursued and not among the pursuers. One can prove that this is so, as none among birds are pursued more than doves and pigeons, as all predators hunt them, and from all birds the verse deemed them fit to be sacrificed on the altar.
2) Does he want to teach that we can never be the pursuer?