Prohibition of murder and sabotage

From the Preface of Dr. Michael Schulman to the section on the prohibition of murder and causing harm, The Divine Code, Part V:

Human life is an inherent right of every person and a gift given by God, which we are obligated to preserve and respect. Man was created “in the image of God,” and as such bears within himself a measure of holiness. One who takes a human life diminishes the manifestation of the Divine in the world, and doing so without permission from God is absolutely forbidden. Moreover, murder is an act of the greatest rebellion against God Himself, who blessed humanity with the command: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth” (Bereishit 1:28), and “He did not create the world for emptiness; He formed it to be inhabited” (Isaiah 45:18).

Furthermore, a murderer harms many others as well. The tragic loss of a human life brings pain to family, friends, and associates. The loss extends beyond a specific place and time, for the murderer deprives not only one person of life, but also all of that person’s future descendants who might have been born in generations to come. All this potential for good, across all time, is lost through the act of violence. Even if the victim would not have had children, every good deed a person performs constitutes spiritual “offspring” brought into the world. Therefore, the Jewish sages compare the destruction of a single life to the destruction of an entire world, and conversely, the preservation or continuation of a single life to the preservation of an entire world.

But what actions are to be considered murder? Does the Torah permit killing under any circumstances? Does a person have the right to take his own life? How does the Torah regard life-endangering actions, or the removal of organs from a living donor who will not regain consciousness? In the Noahide Code, God has provided detailed guidance on how this commandment is to be applied in all situations.

Moreover, the respect due to the “image of God” is not limited to the taking or preserving of life. Are there actions that do not cause physical harm, yet are spiritually comparable to murder? For example, would a person be guilty in the eyes of God for damaging another’s reputation or humiliating a friend? Does the answer change if the information made public is true? These questions, along with many others, are addressed in the Noahide Code. The prohibition of murder and causing harm includes such clear cases as killing (whether premeditated or unexpected), suicide, euthanasia, and the infliction of severe physical injury. It also addresses issues such as self-defense, endangering one’s own life to save others, and death resulting from criminal negligence or unavoidable circumstances. The prohibition against causing harm extends as well to non-physical offenses, such as slander, public humiliation, and emotional injury.

Although many of the laws concerning murder are complex, their general foundation can be expressed in a single phrase. This is the “golden rule” of the Torah, formulated by Hillel: “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. The rest is commentary; go and learn!”

As a consequence of this prohibition, a person must refrain from speaking negatively about others or about the Creator, for every human being deserves respect simply by virtue of having been created with a rational human soul, which is the “image of God” within him. If someone speaks in a way that damages another person’s good reputation in the eyes of others, he has caused real harm both to the one spoken about and to the listener. If what is said is true, the harm is even greater. Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, the founder of the Hasidic movement, taught: “Evil speech kills all three—the one who invents it, the one who repeats it, and the one who listens. This is so in the spiritual dimension…”

Biblical Sources

The prohibition of murder and causing harm is stated in Bereishit 9:6: “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God He made man.”

Certain Details and Derived Principles

Table of Contents of Section V in The Divine Code, addressing the prohibition of murder and causing harm:

• The prohibition of murder; abortion; euthanasia; inflicting a fatal injury; and complicity in murder.
• The prohibition of suicide.
• In which cases it is permitted to give up one’s life for one of the Seven Noahide Commandments.
• The laws of the pursuer (rodef) and self-defense.
• The laws concerning intentional and unintentional killing, as well as killing resulting from negligence or under compulsion.
• The prohibition of causing injury or harm.
• The prohibition of endangering oneself and others.
• The obligation to save a human life.
• The prohibition of shaming another person; gossip and spreading harmful rumors.
• The laws of reproductive sterilization and contraception.

Selected Laws Pertaining to Noahides Regarding the Prohibition of Murder and Causing Harm, from The Divine Code, Part V:

• A person who has injured or humiliated another cannot atone for his sin merely by compensating the victim for the suffering caused; he is obligated to seek forgiveness. The injured party, in turn, should not be cruel or unforgiving; if the offender sincerely asks for forgiveness, he should be forgiven.
• It is forbidden to cause a person distress through one’s words; from both a moral and logical standpoint, such behavior cannot go without consequence. As Hillel said, summarizing the entire Torah: “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow.”
• A person’s sincere repentance for the sin of murder must be expressed through an increase in good deeds and acts of charity, as well as through care for the poor and others in need of compassion. In addition, such a person is advised to leave his settled place and the comforts in which he lives, for wandering serves as an atonement for the sin of a murderer.