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help her and it is possible that her fetus is considered a rodef, though
this requires further study.13

Our second question was whether a person threatening suicide
can be considered a shoteh since he is prepared to destroy his most
precious possession, namely his life?

It appears that the young woman should not be considered a shotah
because of her readiness to take her own life, because there is a reason
for her threatening suicide and she speaks cogently.

However, although she is not considered a shotah in all respects she
appears to be in the category of gandrifas, which in regard to piku’ach
nefesh is the same as a shoteh. Our comments do not apply to individ-
uals who commit suicide because their honor was slighted or because
they did not attain their desires but solely to this young woman who
considered the equivalent of gandrifas and whose fetus is viewed as a
rodef since it aggravates her condition.

13. See further, siman 282 [the first case], where we make the case that when a
person will suffer very great embarrassment indeed owing to a sin he has com-
mitted, there are grounds for ruling leniently and violating Torah prohibitions
in order to prevent him from committing suicide, because embarrassment can
profoundly affect a person’s judgment and choices and he is virtually ‘compelled’
to commit suicide and therefore should be saved. In the case we are considering
though, of a young, unmarried woman who became pregnant, the embarrass-
ment was not at that level.

372 1 Medical-Halachic Responsa of Rav Zilberstein