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die. Similarly, a physician is under no obligation to take a
risk in order to prevent a sinner from committing suicide.

ɳ Summary and conclusions

To question one: Regarding the woman who was caught
up in criminal activity and who is threatening suicide unless
the physician issues her a false medical document – logic
dictates that although if the crime was an incidental occur-
rence it is correct to try and save her, it is nonetheless forbid-
den to violate prohibitions in order to save her, despite her
suicide threat [for her concern was only on account of the
prison conditions, not her embarrassment] and particularly
since the physician is liable to lose his livelihood for having
issued a false document.

To question two: Regarding the bank clerk who embez-
zled the bank’s money and is threatening suicide, whose
lawyer has the idea of advising him to steal again, which will
enable him to mislead the bank’s management into forego-
ing the stolen money – it appears that if the clerk’s punish-
ment will amount only to imprisonment he should not be
helped to avoid it unless his indiscretion was an incidental
occurrence, in which case it is permitted to help him avoid
prison, particularly since his suicide wish is a consequence
of his great embarrassment over his actions. Therefore since
in this case his threat of suicide is real, he should be helped
out of his predicament, even if saving him involves violating
prohibitions. However, there is no permission for stealing
another party’s money because of this person’s extreme cir-
cumstances and the lawyer must have him sign checks that
will result in the return of everything he has stolen.

Lying to Prevent Suicide 2 407