The Infinite Value of a Single Jewish Life – Why One Soul Is Worth the Entire World

Judaism teaches us to recognize our true worth – the infinite value of every single Jew. This is powerfully illustrated in the Torah law that "one life cannot be pushed aside for another" – meaning we are forbidden to take the life of one person, no matter how seemingly “simple,” in order to save the life of someone considered “great.”

This principle is clearly codified by both the Rambam (Maimonides) and the Shulchan Aruch: "One may not set aside one life for another" (Ohalot 7:6).

Imagine that the greatest spiritual leader of the generation – a revered Torah scholar and guide, falls gravely ill, God forbid and his life is in danger. The entire Jewish world is praying for his recovery. Philanthropists spare no expense, bringing the finest doctors in hopes of saving him.

A world-renowned specialist arrives, claiming he can save the rabbi’s life by performing a transplant of a specific organ. The community rallies to find that organ and they discover a single possible donor: An elderly Jewish man, who is bedridden, senile, and no longer aware of his surroundings. He no longer studies Torah, prays, or actively performs mitzvot.

The halachic (Jewish legal) ruling is clear that it is absolutely forbidden to take this person's organ. The Torah commands: "One may not push aside one life for another." We cannot prolong one Jew’s life at the cost of another’s – not even by a single moment, even if the one to be saved is a great leader and the other appears to contribute “nothing” in our eyes.

Every Jew Equals the Entire Nation

The value of a Jew’s life is so great that, hypothetically, if saving even a single Jew – even one in a vegetative state – required the entire Jewish people to break Shabbat (in a case where such a scenario was the only way to save them), God’s will is that everyone would desecrate Shabbat to save that life.

If Hitler (may his name be erased) had offered to stop the Holocaust, shut down the death camps, and release all the Jews, in exchange for the life of just one Jew, Jewish law says that we may not hand over even one soul, even to save millions.

The Law Is Absolute

The Rambam (Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 5) states that if non-Jews demand we hand over one Jew to be killed – even one who is unconscious, in a vegetative state – and threaten to kill us all if we refuse, the halacha is to let them kill us all, rather than surrender even one life.

It’s a deeply challenging teaching. From Abraham until the last Jew alive, God would allow the entire Jewish people to be wiped out, rather than cut short even one Jew’s life by a single moment.

Why Is a Single Moment of Life So Precious?

In the Talmud (Sanhedrin 4) we are taught: "A person must say: The world was created for me." The entire universe including the heavens and earth, every person, animal, insect, plant, ocean, star, angel, and spiritual realm – from the beginning of time until the coming of the Messiah – was created for each individual.

Even if a Jew lies unconscious, unable to speak, pray, or “do” anything, we may not harm them because they are an entire world. This is the worth of every Jew, without exception.