Q&A: A Jew Taking the Law Into His Own Hands
A Jew Taking the Law Into His Own Hands
Question
I was learning this Talmudic passage and came away with something that seems illogical to me, so I wanted to ask the Rabbi: if my friend and I are walking in the street and someone comes and hits him and injures him, is it forbidden for me to come help my friend by hitting back at the attacker in order to stop him from injuring my friend, since the whole rule of a person taking the law into his own hands applies only for himself and not for someone else?
Answer
This is not connected in any way to the law of a person taking the law into his own hands. This is the law of a pursuer. Obviously you are allowed to hit him in order to save your friend.
Discussion on Answer
The law of a pursuer also applies to someone who comes to injure. It is just that here it is accepted that there is no permission to kill him, only to hit him. In my opinion, if there is no other choice, it is permitted even to kill him. See my article on killing a burglar (one who breaks in underground).
Why hit? You can cry out, "Gevalt!" and that way "a Jew takes the law into his own hands"… 🙂
Best regards, Shefatya Abu-Shahadeh the nag
My question was not about a case of a pursuer. The person hitting my friend is not endangering him in terms of death, but is only beating him and injuring him.