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obligated to endanger his own life to enter the waves of the sea to save
the drowning person from certain death? The Talmud Yerushalmi
rules that he is obligated and the Talmud Bavli rules that he is exempt.
This is the halachic ruling in the Sema (Choshen Mishpat ibid, 2) in
the Radvaz (Vol. 3 #626/1052, and in the Leshonos HaRambam, #582),
and in the Mishnah Berurah, (#329:19) who writes: If one sees a boat
with Jews aboard floundering in the ocean, or a person fleeing from
a would-be killer, it is a mitzvah on every Jew to desecrate Shabbos in
order to save them. The Mishnah Berurah continues and says: In any
event, if there is danger to the rescuer, he is not obligated, because of
the axiom “Your life takes precedence to that of your friend.” Even
avoiding possible danger takes precedence to saving your friend from
definite danger. However, one has to weigh the matter carefully to de-
termine whether there is really a possibility of danger, and one should
not be overly cautious.
One needs to rule whether in the view of the Talmud Bavli a per-
son has the right to endanger himself voluntarily to save another’s life
from definite danger. As related inTractate Yoma, (84a) Rav Yochanan
fooled the Roman matron and revealed the secret of the remedy for
tzafdina (scurvy), in order to save his brethren from this dangerous
illness. This probably placed him in great danger, but he did it in order
to save others. Rav Yochanan, however, is the author of the Talmud
Yerushalmi, and in his opinion one is obligated to endanger oneself to
save another. Nonetheless, since this fact is presented by the Talmud
Bavli, it sounds as though it is permissible for a person to endanger
himself even according to the Talmud Bavli. One can reject this proof,
however, by claiming that a great Torah scholar such as Rav Yochanan
is allowed to be stringent and endanger his life.
However, in practice, see the Radvaz (cited above by the Pischei
Teshuvah, Yoreh De’ah #157:15). There it says that if one endangers
oneself to save his friend, he is a pious fool.
All this applies in times of peace. During wartime, we learn in the
Rambam (Hilchos Shabbos 2:23): If gentiles besiege the cities of Israel,
the Jews go out after them with their weapons. And one even dese-
crates Shabbos and it is a mitzvah on all of Israel who is able to come to
392 1 Medical-HalacHic Responsa of Rav ZilbeRstein
one should not endanger himself if the chances of saving lives of the
wounded are slight.

To Endanger Oneself to Save the Life of a
Gentile
Now we can rule on the question of Jewish physicians endangering
themselves to save the lives of gentiles. Did they act according to
halacha?
In the Sefer Yonah (1:11-12) it says: “Then they said to him: What
shall we do with you, that the sea may be calm for us? And he said
to them: Take me and throw me into the sea because the sea will
then calm down because I know that for my sake this great tempest
is upon you.” In the Sefer Taama Dikra it says that the reason Yonah
instructed them to throw him into the sea was so as not to assist
them, since it is forbidden for a Jew to kill himself in order to save the
lives of gentiles. Therefore, he advised them that they are permitted
to throw him into the sea to save their lives, and they were compelled
to throw him overboard. And even though his imminent death was
fairly certain as soon as he said, “It is me that brought on this evil,” he
was concerned about chayei sha’ah (living a short while).
Sefer Chassidim (#679) writes, as follows: Why did they not say
to Yonah: “Throw yourself into the sea”? He did not want to throw
himself into the sea. Furthermore, idol worshippers were on the ship
and it was better that they throw him into the sea. We see from here
that it is forbidden for a person to endanger himself for gentiles.
1 AnsweR to Question 2
Now we can respond to question 2, regarding the possible need for
exile and atonement, if the physician had not acted in accordance to
halacha.
Saving the wounded when chances are slim 2 397