Editing Pikuach Nefesh (section)

== Mitzvah by the Great Ones ==
Regarding setting aside Shabbat for pikuach nefesh, the Gemara states: "And these things are not done by non-Jews or by Cutheans, but by the great ones of Israel." The meaning of "great ones of Israel" is debated among the poskim (Jewish legal authorities). Some say it's meant to exclude children who are minors. Others say it refers to people who are greater in wisdom than the common people, as the Rambam wrote: "The great and wise ones of Israel," and as the Alter Rebbe wrote: "By Israelites who are great in wisdom and not by common people and women." One of the reasons he gave for this is to publicly demonstrate the practical halacha.

The Rebbe related on several occasions that once the Alter Rebbe, while still praying on Yom Kippur, removed his tallit and went to the home of a woman who had just given birth, who was at the edge of the town and remained alone in her house after all her family members went to synagogue. He sensed that she needed help, so he went and chopped wood, cooked soup, and personally fed the new mother.

The Rebbe once added that he heard this story from his father-in-law, the Previous Rebbe, who mentioned that "in those days, Chassidim did not customarily tell this story." But the Rebbe expressed about this (translated from Yiddish): "He certainly knew that I wouldn't be able to contain myself, and sooner or later I would make a big noise about this. I think I've already told this once, but if there hasn't been a commotion about it until now, I'm telling it now with the commotion."

On another occasion, the Rebbe explained that saving a Jewish life is similar to the law that "one who is engaged in a mitzvah is exempt from another mitzvah." The reason for this law is that in every mitzvah there is an aspect that is equal in all mitzvot, and because of this detail, one is exempt from all other mitzvot. Similarly with Jewish souls, since in every Jew there is one part and essence that is equal in every Jew (which is why it is said that "whoever saves one Jewish life is considered as if they saved an entire world"), therefore there is no difference what type of Jew is being saved, nor what type of Jew is doing the saving, since the entire rescue is founded on the aspect that is equal among all Jews.

[[he:פיקוח נפש]]