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Source Sheet for 2/2/23
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Put on Your Own Oxygen Mask First Source Sheet for 2/2/23
וְרָמֵי דְּרַבִּי יוֹסֵי אַדְּרַבִּי יוֹסֵי: מַעְיָין שֶׁל בְּנֵי הָעִיר, חַיֵּיהֶן וְחַיֵּי אֲחֵרִים — חַיֵּיהֶן קוֹדְמִין לְחַיֵּי אֲחֵרִים. בְּהֶמְתָּם [וּבֶהֱמַת אֲחֵרִים — בְּהֶמְתָּם] קוֹדֶמֶת לְבֶהֱמַת אֲחֵרִים. כְּבִיסָתָן וּכְבִיסַת אֲחֵרִים — כְּבִיסָתָן קוֹדֶמֶת לִכְבִיסַת אֲחֵרִים. חַיֵּי אֲחֵרִים וּכְבִיסָתָן — חַיֵּי אֲחֵרִים קוֹדְמִין לִכְבִיסָתָן. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר: כְּבִיסָתָן קוֹדֶמֶת לְחַיֵּי אֲחֵרִים. הַשְׁתָּא כְּבִיסָה אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי יֵשׁ בָּהּ צַעַר,
§ The Gemara raises a contradiction between this statement of Rabbi Yosei and another statement of Rabbi Yosei. It was taught in a baraita: In the case of a spring belonging to the residents of a city, if the water was needed for their own lives, i.e., the city’s residents required the spring for drinking water, and it was also needed for the lives of others, their own lives take precedence over the lives of others. Likewise, if the water was needed for their own animals and also for the animals of others, their own animals take precedence over the animals of others. And if the water was needed for their own laundry and also for the laundry of others, their own laundry takes precedence over the laundry of others. However, if the spring water was needed for the lives of others and their own laundry, the lives of others take precedence over their own laundry. Rabbi Yosei disagrees and says: Even their own laundry takes precedence over the lives of others, as the wearing of unlaundered clothes can eventually cause suffering and pose a danger. The Gemara clarifies the difficulty presented by this baraita: Now, if with regard to laundry, Rabbi Yosei said that refraining from laundering one’s clothes involves pain and affliction,
גּוּף כּוּלּוֹ לֹא כׇּל שֶׁכֵּן?! אָמְרִי: אִין, כְּבִיסָה אַלִּימָא לְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי. דְּאָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: הַאי עַרְבּוּבִיתָא דְרֵישָׁא — מַתְיָא לִידֵי עֲוִירָא, עַרְבּוּבִיתָא דְמָאנֵי — מַתְיָא לִידֵי שַׁעְמוּמִיתָא, עַרְבּוּבִיתָא דְגוּפָא — מַתְיָא לִידֵי שִׁיחְנֵי וְכִיבֵי.

is it not all the more so the case that if one does not bathe, which affects the entire body, Rabbi Yosei would agree that he will suffer pain? The Gemara refutes this argument: The Sages say in response: Yes, the pain of refraining from laundering one’s clothes is stronger, according to Rabbi Yosei, than the pain of not washing one’s body. As Shmuel said: Grime on one’s head leads to blindness, and grime on one’s clothes leads to madness, whereas grime on one’s body leads to boils and sores, which are less serious than madness and blindness. Based on this it may be suggested that according to Rabbi Yosei, soiled clothing presents a greater danger than an unwashed body.

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

(5) You shall keep My laws and My rules, by the pursuit of which human beings shall live: I am יהוה.

(ויקרא כה, לו) וחי אחיך עמך אהדר ליה כי היכי דניחי
“And your brother shall live with you” (Leviticus 25:36), from which it is derived: Return the interest to him so that he may live.
ורבי יוחנן האי וחי אחיך עמך מאי עביד ליה מבעי ליה לכדתניא שנים שהיו מהלכין בדרך וביד אחד מהן קיתון של מים אם שותין שניהם מתים ואם שותה אחד מהן מגיע לישוב דרש בן פטורא מוטב שישתו שניהם וימותו ואל יראה אחד מהם במיתתו של חבירו עד שבא ר' עקיבא ולימד וחי אחיך עמך חייך קודמים לחיי חבירך
The Gemara asks: And Rabbi Yoḥanan, what does he do with this verse: “And your brother shall live with you”? The Gemara answers: He requires the verse for that which is taught in a baraita: If two people were walking on a desolate path and there was a jug [kiton] of water in the possession of one of them, and the situation was such that if both drink from the jug, both will die, as there is not enough water, but if only one of them drinks, he will reach a settled area, there is a dispute as to the halakha. Ben Petora taught: It is preferable that both of them drink and die, and let neither one of them see the death of the other. This was the accepted opinion until Rabbi Akiva came and taught that the verse states: “And your brother shall live with you,” indicating that your life takes precedence over the life of the other.
א"ר יוחנן משום ר"ש בן יהוצדק נימנו וגמרו בעליית בית נתזה בלוד כל עבירות שבתורה אם אומרין לאדם עבור ואל תהרג יעבור ואל יהרג חוץ מעבודת כוכבים וגילוי עריות ושפיכות דמים
§ The Gemara now considers which prohibitions are permitted in times of mortal danger. Rabbi Yoḥanan says in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yehotzadak: The Sages who discussed this issue counted the votes of those assembled and concluded in the upper story of the house of Nitza in the city of Lod: With regard to all other transgressions in the Torah, if a person is told: Transgress this prohibition and you will not be killed, he may transgress that prohibition and not be killed, because the preserving of his own life overrides all of the Torah’s prohibitions. This is the halakha concerning all prohibitions except for those of idol worship, forbidden sexual relations, and bloodshed. Concerning those prohibitions, one must allow himself to be killed rather than transgress them.
רוצח גופיה מנא לן סברא הוא דההוא דאתא לקמיה דרבה ואמר ליה אמר לי מרי דוראי זיל קטליה לפלניא ואי לא קטלינא לך אמר ליה לקטלוך ולא תיקטול מי יימר דדמא דידך סומק טפי דילמא דמא דהוא גברא סומק טפי
The Gemara asks: From where do we derive this halakha with regard to a murderer himself, that one must allow himself to be killed rather than commit murder? The Gemara answers: It is based on logical reasoning that one life is not preferable to another, and therefore there is no need for a verse to teach this halakha. The Gemara relates an incident to demonstrate this: As when a certain person came before Rabba and said to him: The lord of my place, a local official, said to me: Go kill so-and-so, and if not I will kill you, what shall I do? Rabba said to him: It is preferable that he should kill you and you should not kill. Who is to say that your blood is redder than his, that your life is worth more than the one he wants you to kill? Perhaps that man’s blood is redder. This logical reasoning is the basis for the halakha that one may not save his own life by killing another.
(יג) וְאַתָּ֞ה דַּבֵּ֨ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אַ֥ךְ אֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתַ֖י תִּשְׁמֹ֑רוּ כִּי֩ א֨וֹת הִ֜וא בֵּינִ֤י וּבֵֽינֵיכֶם֙ לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם לָדַ֕עַת כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה מְקַדִּשְׁכֶֽם׃

(13) Speak to the Israelite people and say: Nevertheless, you must keep My sabbaths, for this is a sign between Me and you throughout the ages, that you may know that I יהוה have consecrated you.

(ב) כבר היו רבי ישמעאל ורבי אלעזר בן עזריה ורבי עקיבא מהלכין בדרך. ולוי הסדר ורבי ישמעאל בנו של רבי אלעזר בן עזריה מהלכין אחריהם. ונשאלה שאלה זו בפניהם, מנין לפקוח נפש שדוחה את השבת. נענה רבי ישמעאל ואמר, אם במחתרת ימצא הגנב (שמות כ״ב:א׳). [והרי דברים קל וחומר] ומה זה הוא ספק שבא לגנוב ספק שבא להרוג ((והרי דברים קל וחומר) ומה) שפיכות דמים שמטמא את הארץ ומסלקת את השכינה הרי היא (דוחה (שבת) [נפש]). קל וחומר לפקוח נפש שדוחה את השבת. נענה רבי אלעזר בן עזריה ואמר, מה מילה שאינה אלא אחד מאבריו של אדם, דוחה שבת. קל וחומר לשאר כל גופו. (אמרו לו ממקום שבאת, מה להלן בודאי אף כאן בודאי.) רבי עקיבא אומר, אם דוחה (רציחה) את העבודה שהיא דוחה שבת, קל וחומר לפקוח נפש שדוחה שבת. רבי יוסי הגלילי אומר, (כשם שהוא אומר אך) את שבתותי תשמורו. אך חלק, יש שבתות שאתה דוחה ויש שבתות שאתה שובת. רבי שמעון בן מנסיא אומר, הרי הוא אומר ושמרתם את השבת כי קדש היא לכם. לכם שבת מסורה, ואי אתם מסורין לשבת. רבי נתן אומר, ושמרו בני ישראל את השבת לעשות את השבת לדורותם, חלל שבת אחת כדי שתשמור שבתות הרבה.

(2) R. Yishmael and R. Elazar b. Azaryah and R. Akiva were once walking on the road, with Levi Hasadar and R. Yishmael the son of R. Elazar b. Azaryah walking behind them, when this question was asked: Whence is it derived that the saving of a life overrides the Sabbath? R. Yishmael responded: It is written (Ibid. 22:1) "If the thief be found breaking in, etc." — If in such an instance, where it is doubtful whether he is coming to steal or to kill, and the spilling of blood defiles the land and causes the Shechinah to depart, he is permitted to kill the thief to save his life — how much more so does the saving of life override the Sabbath! R. Elazar b. Azaryah responded: If circumcision, which includes only one of a man's organs, overrides the Sabbath, how much more so all of his body! R. Akiva says: If the saving of a life overrides the sacrificial service, which overrides the Sabbath, how much more so does the saving of a life override the Sabbath! R. Yossi Haglili says: "My Sabbaths shall you keep": "but" ("ach," before "My") "divides," i.e., there are Sabbaths that you override, and there are Sabbaths that you rest. R. Shimon b. Menassia says (Ibid. 14) "And you shall keep the Sabbath, for it is holy to you" — Sabbath is given to you and you are not given (i.e., "surrendered") to the Sabbath. R. Nathan says (Ibid. 16) "And the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath to observe the Sabbath for their generations": Desecrate one Sabbath in order to keep many Sabbaths.