Three cardinal sins and the limits of martyrdom TB Sanhedrin 74

Popular medium has portrayed some cultures as cults of death. I don’t know whether this is true or not; however, Judaism has always sanctified life as one the most important values of our religion. Torah is a tree of life. Saving a life is one of the underlying principles of Judaism. One is allowed to eat on Yom Kippur or light a fire on Shabbat in order to save a person’s life. The rabbis’ rationale comes from their understanding of the verse “You shall keep My statutes and My judgments, which a person shall do, and he shall live by them’ (Leviticus 18:5), thereby teaching that the mitzvot were given to provide life, but they were not given so that one will die due to their observance.”

The daf for Shabbat TB Sanhedrin 74, is one of the most famous pages in the entire Talmud because when we are allowed to transgress a commandment and when we when we should submit to martyrdom.

“§ 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.” (Sefaia.org translation)

The Gemara provides textual proof for the exemptions of idol worship and forbidden sexual relations. Bloodshed or murder is forbidden based on logic. “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.” (Sefaria.org translation) Since each human being is created in God’s image, each person’s life has infinite value. Consequently, one should submit to martyrdom rather than being forced to kill another human being.

Rav Dimi and Ravin further limit the scope of martyrdom. “When Rav Dimi came from Eretz Yisrael to Babylonia, he said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The Sages taught that one is permitted to transgress prohibitions in the face of mortal danger only when it is not a time of religious persecution. But in a time of religious persecution, when the gentile authorities are trying to force Jews to violate their religion, even if they issued a decree about a minor mitzva, one must be killed and not transgress.” (Sefaria.org translation)

“The Gemara asks: And the presence of how many people is required so that it should be deemed a public act? Rabbi Ya’akov says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: An action is not considered a public act if it is performed in the presence of fewer than ten people. The Gemara clarifies this point: It is obvious that we require that these ten people be Jews, as it is written in the verse from which we derive the requirement of ten for the sanctification of God’s name: “And I shall be sanctified among the children of Israel” (Leviticus 22:32).” (Sefaria.org translation)

The Gemara further limits the scope of martyrdom in the case of idolatry by declaring that one is not obligated to become a martyr when Jews are not being persecuted in order to convert them. “Rava explains: As if you do not say so, then how do we give them coal shovels [kevakei vedimonikei]? The Persian priests would take coal shovels from every house, fill them with coals, and use them to heat their temples on their festival days. Although this involved assisting idol worship in public, Jews would not sacrifice their lives in order not to do so. Rather, the reason they cooperated is certainly that a measure enacted for the gentiles’ personal pleasure is different...a measure enacted for a gentile’s personal pleasure is different, and there is no obligation to sacrifice one’s life to avoid it.” (Sefaria.org translation)

This Gemara has been codified in our codes. For further study check out the sites.

Sefer Hamitzvot Positive mitzvah #9 https://www.sefaria.org/Sefer_HaMitzvot%2C_Positive_Commandments.9.1?lang=bi

Mishneh Torah Foundations 5 https://www.sefaria.org/Mishneh_Torah%2C_Foundations_of_the_Torah.5.4?lang=bi

Sefer HaChinukh Mitzvah 296 https://www.sefaria.org/Sefer_HaChinukh.296.3?lang=bi