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allowed to give up his own life in order to save his friend, unless he
knows with certainty that his friend is a greater Torah scholar and
more pious than he, (in the name of Sefer Chassidim #695) or for his
father or teacher. Otherwise, how do we know whose blood is redder?
Therefore, he continues, a father is also forbidden to give up his life
for his only beloved son, unless the father is an old man who can no
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longer bear children. If that is the case, perhaps he is allowed to give
up his life, if the son is at least a decent person.
This requires clarification. If it is forbidden for a person to give up
his life to save his friend, why is it permissible for an old man, who
can no longer bear children, to give up his life for his son?
Perhaps the Migdal Oz posits that since one can assume that the
son will give birth to more sons, it is as if the father is an individual
giving up his life in order to save many, which is permissible. Al-
though these people have not yet been born, it seems that the Migdal
Oz believes it is permissible to give up one’s life for them. This is a very
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novel thought.
I found something supportive of this in the introduction to Sha’ar
Ephraim, written by the son of the author, who was, in his youth,
infected by a plague that rampaged the city. When his father, the au-
thor of Sha’ar Ephraim, saw his son’s condition, he prayed, “Let me die
instead of him.” Immediately, the son was cured, and the father con-
tracted the plague and died. Although there is a difference between
praying and taking action, this story somewhat supports the view of
the Migdal Oz.
In light of this, it would seem that it is permissible for a woman to
endanger herself a bit for the sake of the generations she brings into
the world. And in our case, perhaps one can be lenient even more
than in the case of the Migdal Oz, because she is not actually killing
herself, but simply disregarding the small chance of danger of a fourth
pregnancy after three previous Caesarean sections.

The third explanation: An additional reason to permit a fourth
pregnancy is based on the fact that the Noda Biyehudah permitted
putting oneself into a slight chance of danger in order to earn a live-
lihood, although it would otherwise be prohibited. It seems that we

Undertaking danger in order to save a life 2 379