Commentary for Sanhedrin 147:23

מאי מצוה קלה אמר רבא בר רב יצחק אמר רב

but not die by them. I might think that it may even be openly practised. but Scripture teaches, Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed?'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXII, 32. ');">²¹</span> — They<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Sages that met at the house of Nithza. ');">²²</span> ruled as R. Eliezer. For it has been taught, R. Eliezer said: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut, VI. 5. ');">²³</span> Since 'with all thy soul' is stated, why is 'with all thy might' stated? Or if 'with all thy might' be written, why also write 'with all thy soul'? For the man to whom life is more precious than wealth, 'with all thy soul' is written;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., even to give thy soul (life) in His service. ');">²⁴</span> whilst he to whom wealth is more precious than life is bidden, 'with all thy might' [i.e., substance].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This proves that one must incur a martyr's death rather than practice idolatry, for 'and thou shalt love the Lord thy God' means that we must not worship any other in His place. ');">²⁵</span> Incest and murder [may not be practised to save one's life], — even as Rabbi's dictum. For it has been taught: Rabbi said, For as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXII, 26. ');">²⁶</span> But what do we learn from this analogy of a murderer? Thus, this comes to throw light and is itself illumined. The murderer is compared to a betrothed maiden: just as a betrothed maiden must be saved [from dishonour] at the cost of his [the ravisher's] life, so in the case of a murderer, he [the victim] must be saved at the cost of his [the attacker's] life. Conversely, a betrothed maiden is compared to a murderer: just as one must rather be slain than commit murder, so also must the betrothed maiden rather be slain than allow her violation. And how do we know this of murder itself? — It is common sense. Even as one who came before Raba<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Var. lec., Rabbah. ');">²⁷</span> and said to him, 'The governor of my town has ordered me, "Go and kill so and so; if not, I will slay thee"'. He answered him, 'Let him rather slay you than that you should commit murder; who knows that your blood is redder? Perhaps his blood is redder.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., you have no right to murder him to save yourself: his life is no less valuable than your own. ');">²⁸</span> When R. Dimi came,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 390 n. 1. ');">²⁹</span> he said: This was taught only if there is no royal decree,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Forbidding the practice of Judaism, the action being by an individual. ');">³⁰</span> but if there is a royal decree, one must incur martyrdom rather than transgress even a minor precept. When Rabin came, he said in R. Johanan's name: Even without a royal decree, it was only permitted in private; but in public one must be martyred even for a minor precept rather than violate it. What is meant by a 'minor precept'? — Raba son of R. Isaac said in Rab's name:

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