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of disdain for the mitzvah [because there is another reason
for him doing so].

In light of all this it appears that even if we decide that a non-Jew
may not practice euthanasia on a fellow non-Jew, the hospital director
is nevertheless under no obligation to lose his livelihood when the
physicians who take instructions from him demand that he enable
them to transgress the prohibition of spilling blood6.

In addition, we can append to this the view of the Minchas Chinuch
(34) that a non-Jew is not forbidden to commit suicide. According to
this, it may also be permitted for another person to kill him if he
requests this. The Mishpatei Shmuel writes similarly (first edn., 6),
that the bloodshed prohibited to non-Jews falls within the category of
“laws” [for society’s regulation], meaning that if the other party gives
his permission there will be no sin of spilling of blood. This resembles
the prohibition of stealing, which only applies when the theft is being
carried out contrary to the desire of the victim. According to this,“Do
not put an obstacle before a blind man” poses no problem.

To this the view of the Orchos Chaim, cited by the Beis Yosef
(Yoreh De’ah, 157) can also be appended: “I might have thought [that
the prohibition of taking one’s own life applies even in a case] like [that
of ] Shaul [Hamelech] ben Kish, who was afraid of being subjected to
torture – the Torah [therefore] says “ach (just) [i.e. “just your blood,
your own lives, I shall seek” (Bereishis 9:5) – the word“just” coming to
exclude a case like Shaul’s from the prohibition]. Although in regard
to a Jew, chas veshalom that this opinion be relied upon as halachah,7
there are grounds for leniency in regard to a non-Jew, thus the director
would not be considered to be transgressing “Do not put an obstacle

6. See earlier, at the end of siman 272, where we cite the Rema’s opinion that a
person is not obligated to sustain financial loss in order to avoid transgressing
“Do not put a stumbling block…” However, whereas the Rema writes just that
there is no need to protest, the novelty of the Maharil Diskin’s conclusion is that
it is even permitted to provide active assistance.

7. See our lengthy discussion on this topic of Shaul Hamelech’s conduct, earlier in
siman 200.

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