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Generally speaking, if Reuven tells Shimon to violate a mitzvah on pain of death, Shimon may - possibly must - violate it.

Let’s say that Reuven comes to Shimon and says that if he doesn’t violate a mitzvah he will kill Shimon’s wife and children. Is Shimon obligated to violate the mitzvah in order to save his family’s life? May he violate it in order to save his family? Does it matter which mitzvah it is?

Let’s assume that he can’t just kill Reuven to save his family, or call the cops, or any other trickery. If he doesn’t violate this mitzvah, his family is dead.

DonielF
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    It seems to me that he should be permitted to violate whatever mitzvah it is, as long as it's not idolatry, murder, or adultry. How is this any different from a normal case of pikuach nefesh? – ezra Feb 09 '18 at 14:34
  • @ezra Because it’s not normal pikuach nefesh - maybe in a case where someone is threatening to kill someone else we should say Shev v’Al Ta’aseh. – DonielF Feb 09 '18 at 14:34
  • Killing your entire family generally includes you, as you are part of your own family. And besides, by not transgressing the mitzvah in order to save his family's life he's in a way murdering, which would be forbidden to perform for any reason. – ezra Feb 09 '18 at 14:35
  • @ezra You’re right - I meant to say the rest of his family. As for your second point - I’m still not sure that we should say that he’s considered a murderer himself. Is this an ordinary case of rodef? (I’ll edit the case to one in which he can’t just shoot the guy threatening him.) – DonielF Feb 09 '18 at 14:38
  • How is this different from a doctor saving someone's life on Shabbat? – Double AA Feb 09 '18 at 14:39
  • @DoubleAA Isn’t that the same question Ezra asked to start this discussion? I stand by my answer there: when the question is someone actively trying to kill someone else and there are no other options perhaps we should say shev v’al ta’aseh. – DonielF Feb 09 '18 at 14:43
  • @DonielF So we should say Shev vaAl Taaseh and close the hospitals on Shabbat? – Double AA Feb 09 '18 at 14:47
  • @DoubleAA No, I’m proposing that perhaps a murderer is different than ordinary cases of when one’s life is in danger. – DonielF Feb 09 '18 at 14:47
  • @DonielF Why might that be? (And why isn't your question post clear about that??) – Double AA Feb 09 '18 at 14:48

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