pikuach nefesh
E42551
Pikuach nefesh is the Jewish legal and ethical principle that preserving human life overrides almost all other religious obligations.
Statements (48)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Jewish legal principle
→
ethical principle in Judaism → halakhic principle → |
| alsoSpelled |
pikkuach nefesh
→
|
| appliesIn |
life-threatening situations
→
potentially life-threatening situations → |
| appliesTo |
Jewish law
→
Sabbath observance → Shabbat prohibitions → Yom Kippur fasting → fast days → halakhic decision-making → kashrut observance → medical ethics in Judaism → |
| basedOn |
Talmud
→
Torah → |
| category |
Halakha
→
Jewish ethics → |
| coreIdea |
preservation of human life overrides almost all other religious obligations
→
|
| discussedIn |
Babylonian Talmud
→
Yoma 85b → tractate Yoma → |
| emphasizes |
duty to save life
→
sanctity of human life → |
| entails |
duty to provide medical care
→
duty to seek medical treatment → obligation to violate commandments to save life → |
| exceptionToOverride |
idolatry
→
murder → sexual immorality → |
| influences |
Jewish responses to public health emergencies
→
contemporary Jewish bioethics → |
| language |
Hebrew
→
|
| literalMeaning |
saving a life
→
|
| normativeStatus |
widely accepted across Jewish denominations
→
|
| overrides |
Sabbath prohibitions
→
dietary laws → fasting obligations → most ritual commandments → |
| priorityOver |
Shabbat rest
→
communal prayer requirements → fasting on Yom Kippur → ritual observance → |
| relatedConcept |
Jewish medical ethics
→
rodef (pursuer) law → |
| religiousTradition |
Judaism
→
|
| scripturalSource |
Leviticus 18:5
→
“You shall live by them” → |
Referenced by (1)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
Jewish ethics
→
|
hasKeyConcept |