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To what extent, if any, must a Jew go through in order to cooperate with authorities, who are not seeking to persecute Jews, in ways that violate Shabbat? May he violate rabbinic ordinances, or actual torah law in an indirect or unnatural way (shinuey)? Or, is there no leeway whatsoever no matter what the potential consequence of obstruction is (short of death)?

Isaac Moses
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  • This question is way to vague for an answer. What are the circumstances? Are the authorities evacuating a burning building? Are they searching for a criminal? Are they just persecuting Jews? – Daniel Apr 19 '13 at 14:10
  • @Daniel better? –  Apr 19 '13 at 14:11
  • Related: http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/26137/472 – Monica Cellio Apr 19 '13 at 14:12
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    @nikmasi, I still think this is not specific enough of a question. The context is important. Do you think the answer to this question would be the same in every situation? – Daniel Apr 19 '13 at 14:19
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    related http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/13181/759 – Double AA Apr 19 '13 at 14:31
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    @Daniel I think a good answer would outline principles that could cover various situations. –  Apr 19 '13 at 14:33
  • @Daniel I would not be surprised if the answer is "cooperate with the police first; ask questions later," in which case a general question like this one makes sense. – Isaac Moses Apr 19 '13 at 14:53
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    @IsaacMoses, I'd be surprised if that were the answer. If a policeman comes to my home and says "we'd like you to ride down to the station to help us investigate a string of misdemeanors, can you come along now please?", I suspect the p'sak would be "don't go". – msh210 Apr 19 '13 at 15:02
  • @msh210, you're probably right, but I maintain that it's valid to ask, generally, whether that's true and how to draw the line. – Isaac Moses Apr 19 '13 at 15:52
  • I think you should behave as if they were not authorities - i.e. does the situation merit violating a Rabbinic or Torah prohibition based on the situation alone. The fact that they are authorities, and might even arrest you should change nothing. – Ariel Apr 19 '13 at 21:42
  • @Ariel, in practice, the fact that authorities are making a request could feed into the analysis of whether the situation merits setting aside various kinds of prohibitions. One could conceive of a respnsum providing a practical guideline along the lines of "if police ask for your help in a criminal investigation, comply first and analyze after." or "If police tell you to move, move first and analyze after." – Isaac Moses Apr 22 '13 at 16:32

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