Q&A: The Case of the Sailors’ Crew Who Threw Excess-Weight Passengers into the Water
The Case of the Sailors’ Crew Who Threw Excess-Weight Passengers into the Water
Question
Good afternoon. I studied this topic with you. There was a study day on Hebrew law, and the topic was raised and taught by Dr. Shay Wozner. I remembered your answer that if the passengers had accepted in advance the conditions regarding how the crew would act, and then boarded the voyage, they would not be punished. Dr. Wozner asks whether, in terms of Jewish law, their agreement to the conditions of the voyage is binding on them.
Answer
I don’t remember saying anything like that. In several classes and articles in the past, I pointed out the contradiction raised there by the commentaries between the laws of a sailor and the laws of theft, and its broader implications. This parallels the difference between the law of a pursuer and the rule that a person may not save himself at the cost of another person’s life (or property).
Discussion on Answer
Those sentences don’t sound familiar to me.
When you explained the difference between a natural lottery and the lottery that the crew members were supposed to conduct before making the decision, and you argued that from a probabilistic standpoint there is no difference in the chances.