Q&A: Morality and Jewish Law
Morality and Jewish Law
Question
Hello Rabbi, as I have understood from the Rabbi in many places, the Rabbi distinguishes between morality and Jewish law, and when the two conflict then the Rabbi argues that in unique cases morality overrides Jewish law (for example: saving a non-Jew on the Sabbath).
I wanted to ask: how does the Rabbi act this way? After all, the Sages knew that it was immoral to let a non-Jew be killed on the Sabbath, and nevertheless they said that it is forbidden to save him. So how, when the Rabbi chooses to save the non-Jew, is that not the same as any ordinary person who, because of some difficulty, chooses not to observe Jewish law?
Answer
I did not bring anywhere the example of saving a non-Jew on the Sabbath as an example of morality overriding Jewish law. There are places where I said that I do not know what I myself would do in such a situation, because I am not certain of the correctness of the halakhic ruling itself. The Sages were not dealing with the non-Jews we know today, who are moral people. See my article, "Is There an Enlightened Idolatry?" and much more here on the site.