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However, to slightly endanger himself – meaning to take a small risk
– is permitted and it is even correct to do so. So it is in our case in
regard to the Yaavetz’s comments. The Igros Moshe (Even Ha’ezer 1,
56) makes a similar argument.

My son-in-law Rabbi Eliezer Roth shlit”a, showed me the Rash-
batz’s comments on maseches Berachos (5a): “Our teachers in France
z”l, wrote (Semak 2), ‘It happened that the students of Rav Yehudah
Chasida had to pass a dangerous place and he warned them not to
go there. They didn’t listen to him and were attacked by bandits and
they saved themselves by mentioning G-d’s Name. He told them
that if they didn’t return to that dangerous place and refrain from
mentioning G-d’s Name they would have no portion in the World
to Come. They went back there and were killed but did not want to
mention G-d’s Name…’ Whatever the case, there is a question that
must be addressed: since their misdeed was already done, what was

is not applicable. We explained there that although the Mishnah Berurah only
allows taking a slight risk – but not courting real danger – in order to avoid
having sinned retroactively, this may only be in regard to other mitzvos but not
in regard to murder. In regard to Shabbos for example, we apply the principle
that every mitzvah gives way in the face of danger to life and even if it will turn
out that a person sinned [by knowingly entering a situation that would require
Shabbos desecration] he must still desecrate Shabbos in order to save his life.
When two lives are in the balance though – in this case the physician’s and the
patient’s – the Mishnah Berurah may agree with the Kovetz He’aros that the
physician may not abandon the patient and must thereby risk his own life, in
order to avoid retroactively having committed the sin of killing the patient.

Now although the sin of wastefully emitting semen is classed as murder, it
remains a sin between man and Heaven and does not carry the full severity of
actual murder which is also a sin between man and man. Therefore according to
the Mishnah Berurah, a person does not have to put himself in great danger in
order to avoid having committed this sin. Since spilling semen is a sin between
man and Heaven he should not endanger himself to avoid it whereas a physician
who began an operation thereby endangering the patient’s life must do every-
thing in his power – including risking his own life – to avoid becoming guilty of
having murdered the patient.

As for defining what constitutes “slight risk” which may be undertaken in or-
der to avoid having sinned retroactively, see our comments on this topic earlier,
siman 113.

Emitting Semen because of Danger 2 153