Live By Them: Making Sure Life Takes Precedence

What is a source of the imperative to live by mitzvot? How do we know that life must take precedence? How do we know that even the possibility of danger is enough to suspend other laws?

ויקרא י״ח:ה׳

(ה) וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֤ם אֶת־חֻקֹּתַי֙ וְאֶת־מִשְׁפָּטַ֔י אֲשֶׁ֨ר יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה אֹתָ֛ם הָאָדָ֖ם וָחַ֣י בָּהֶ֑ם אֲנִ֖י יְהֹוָֽה׃ {ס}

Leviticus 18:5

(5) You shall keep My laws and My rules, by the pursuit of which a person shall live: I am God.

The Babylonian Talmud cites this verse here:

יומא פ״ה ב:ו׳

וְכוּלְּהוּ אַשְׁכְּחַן וַדַּאי, סָפֵק מְנָא לַן? וְדִשְׁמוּאֵל, וַדַּאי לֵית לֵיהּ פִּירְכָא. אָמַר רָבִינָא וְאִיתֵּימָא רַב נַחְמָן בַּר יִצְחָק: טָבָא חֲדָא פִּלְפַּלְתָּא חֲרִיפָא מִמְּלָא צַנָּא דְקָרֵי.

Yoma 85b:6

And for all the other arguments as well, we have found proofs for saving a life from certain danger. But for cases of uncertainty, from where do we derive this? For this reason, all the arguments are refuted. However, the proof that Shmuel brought from the verse: “And live by them,” which teaches that one should not even put a life in possible danger to observe mitzvot, there is certainly no refutation. Ravina said, and some say it was Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak who said with regard to this superior proof of Shmuel: One spicy pepper is better than a whole basket of squash, since its flavor is more powerful than all the others.

Notably, not all commentators agree that Vayikra 18:5 means that life should take precedence over mitzvot. But that's the beauty of Jewish tradition - the value for multiple pluralistic ideas and interpretations.

רש"י על ויקרא י״ח:ה׳:ב׳

וחי בהם. לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, שֶׁאִם תֹּאמַר בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וַהֲלֹא סוֹפוֹ הוּא מֵת (שם):

Rashi on Leviticus 18:5:2

וחי בהם means, THAT HE SHALL LIVE THROUGH THEM in the world to come (eternal life). For if you say it means that he shall live in this world, is it not a fact that in the end he must die! (Sifra, Acharei Mot, Section 8 10; cf. also Targ. Onkelos)

Rambam's interpretation is closer to that of the Talmud. This text is an interesting one, because it speaks about living by mitzvot in the context of being ordered to either transgress a law or die. How is that context different than one who has a health condition, disability or trauma, who needs to suspend a law so that their life takes precedence? Are the situations similar enough that we can learn from one to another?

משנה תורה, הלכות יסודי התורה ה׳:א׳

כָּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל מְצֻוִּין עַל קִדּוּשׁ הַשֵּׁם הַגָּדוֹל הַזֶּה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כב לב) "וְנִקְדַּשְׁתִּי בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל". וּמֻזְהָרִין שֶׁלֹּא לְחַלְּלוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כב לב) "וְלֹא תְחַלְּלוּ אֶת שֵׁם קָדְשִׁי". כֵּיצַד. כְּשֶׁיַּעֲמֹד עוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים וְיֶאֱנֹס אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲבֹר עַל אַחַת מִכָּל מִצְוֹת הָאֲמוּרוֹת בַּתּוֹרָה אוֹ יַהַרְגֶּנּוּ יַעֲבֹר וְאַל יֵהָרֵג שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בַּמִּצְוֹת (ויקרא יח ה) "אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה אוֹתָם הָאָדָם וָחַי בָּהֶם". וָחַי בָּהֶם וְלֹא שֶׁיָּמוּת בָּהֶם. וְאִם מֵת וְלֹא עָבַר הֲרֵי זֶה מִתְחַיֵּב בְּנַפְשׁוֹ:

Mishneh Torah, Foundations of the Torah 5:1

The entire house of Israel are commanded regarding the sanctification of [God's] great name, as [Leviticus 22:32] states: "And I shall be sanctified amidst the children of Israel." Also, they are warned against desecrating [His holy name], as [the above verse] states: "And they shall not desecrate My holy name."
What is implied? Should a gentile arise and force a Jew to violate one of the Torah's commandments at the pain of death, he should violate the commandment rather than be killed, because [Leviticus 18:5] states concerning the mitzvot: "which a man will perform and live by them." [They were given so that] one may live by them and not die because of them. If a person dies rather than transgress, he is held accountable for his life.

Here are several contemporary commentaries:

בעיות הלכתיות עכשוויות, כרך ב, חלק ראשון, פרק ג: שאלות רפואיות ז׳

...

Contemporary Halakhic Problems, Vol II, Part I, Chapter III Medical Questions 7

In addition, Ramban, in his Commentary on the Bible, Leviticus 25:36, interprets the verse, "And your brother shall live with you," as constituting a general obligation to preserve the life of one's fellow. Earlier, R. Aḥa'i Ga'on, She'iltot, She'ilta 38, adduced the discussion found in the Gemara, Baba Mezi'a 62a, in interpreting this verse in a similar manner. R. Shimon ben Ẓemaḥ Duran, Teshuvot Tashbaz, III, no. 37, declares that the verse "And he shall live by them" (Leviticus 18:5) constitutes yet another mizvah commanding the preservation of life. The Gemara, Yoma 85b, renders this passage as meaning, "And he shall live through [the commandments] but he shall not die by means of them," and accordingly interprets this verse as establishing the principle that mizvot are suspended in face of life-threatening dangers. The regulation mandating suspension of mizvot in face of danger, argues Tashbaz, must be understood as establishing a general obligation to preserve life whether or not violation of biblical law is necessary to accomplish that goal.

From Sefaria: "Care of the Critically Ill is a 20th-century work that translates and explains more than a dozen of Rav (“Rabbi”) Moshe Feinstein’s responsa on caring for the critically ill, written by Rav Moshe’s student and son-in-law, Rabbi Moshe Tendler."

תשובות רפואיות, איכות חיים וקדושת החיים בתלמוד ובמדרש, נכתב יחד עם ד"ר פרד רוזנר, הקדמה א׳

...

Care of the Critically Ill, Quality and Sanctity of Life in the Talmud and Midrash Coauthored by Dr Fred Rosner, Introduction 1

The Talmudic maxim "to save one life is tantamount to saving a whole world" (Sanhedrin 37a) indicates that the value of human life is infinite. A fraction of infinity is still infinity. Nothing in this world is of higher value or greater ethical import than human life. Even Torah commandments of the Holy One, blessed be He, must give way to the higher value of preserving human life. The Biblical verse "You shall study and observe My laws and live thereby" (Lev. 18:5) is interpreted in the Talmud (Yoma 85b) to mean that the saving of a life takes precedence over Sabbath observance. By inference, all other Torah laws must also be suspended to save a life since none are more important than the Sabbath laws.

This Talmud text adds to our understanding of the Torah verse. Everyone is included in the imperative to live by mitzvot.

בבא קמא ל״ח א:י״א

וְלָא וְהָתַנְיָא רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר מִנַּיִן שֶׁאֲפִילּוּ גּוֹי וְעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁהוּא כְּכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה אֹתָם הָאָדָם וָחַי בָּהֶם כֹּהֲנִים וּלְוִיִּם וְיִשְׂרְאֵלִים לֹא נֶאֱמַר אֶלָּא אָדָם הָא לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁאֲפִילּוּ גּוֹי וְעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה הֲרֵי הוּא כְּכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל

Bava Kamma 38a:11

The Gemara asks: But do they not receive reward for fulfilling those mitzvot? But isn’t it taught in a baraita that Rabbi Meir says: From where is it derived that even a gentile who engages in Torah is considered like a High Priest? The verse states with regard to the mitzvot: “Which if a person does, he shall live by them” (Leviticus 18:5). It is not stated: Which if priests and Levites and Israelites do, they shall live by them, but rather: A person, indicating that all people are included. You have therefore learned that even a gentile who engages in Torah study is considered like a High Priest.

The Talmud text below is somewhat challenging. What do you think about it? Should there be any limits to the imperative for life to take precedence? Is preserving life in public the same as doing so in private? In what situations might it be needed or show more dignity to preserve life in a public space and when might it show more dignity to do so privately?

עבודה זרה כ״ז ב:י״א

ור' ישמעאל הני מילי בצינעא אבל בפרהסיא לא דתניא היה רבי ישמעאל אומר מנין שאם אומרים לו לאדם עבוד עבודת כוכבים ואל תהרג שיעבוד ואל יהרג ת"ל וחי בהם ולא שימות בהם יכול אפילו בפרהסיא ת"ל (ויקרא כב, לב) ולא תחללו את שם קדשי

Avodah Zarah 27b:11

And why does Rabbi Yishmael disagree with ben Dama? He maintains that this matter applies only in private, but in public one may not transgress a prohibition even to save a life. As it is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yishmael would say: From where is it derived that if oppressors say to a person: Worship an idol and you will not be killed, that one should worship the idol and not be killed? The verse states: “He shall live by them,” and not that he should die by them. One might have thought that this applies even in public. Therefore, the verse states: “And you shall not profane My holy name” (Leviticus 22:32).