According to Halacha, abortion is forbidden, but not punishable by death like a full fledged murder, so would one still be obligated to give up his life in order to avoid doing it, or do we say that your blood is “reder” in this case?
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We say that when the mother's life is threatened.– shmoselCommented Jun 1, 2023 at 2:16
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@shmosel, that’s because the fetus is directly considered a Rodef in that case– שלוםCommented Jun 1, 2023 at 2:39
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I don't know how literal that is. Wouldn't you normally require intent to classify a threat as a rodef?– shmoselCommented Jun 1, 2023 at 2:40
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@shmosel, even if it isn’t literal, it still might not be the same as the case in the question– שלוםCommented Jun 1, 2023 at 2:47
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Maybe not. It was just a comment.– shmoselCommented Jun 1, 2023 at 2:50
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1 Answer
The Rama YD 157:1 says that Yeharog Val yaavor applies even if it’s just a lav without the punishment of death:
וכל איסור עבודת כוכבים וג"ע וש"ד אע"פ שאין בו מיתה רק לאו בעלמא צריך ליהרג ולא לעבור
R’ Moshe understands abortion to be included in the prohibition of murder (CM 2:69) so seemingly one would have to give up their life for it. However, many others hold that abortion is other prohibitions but not murder (Maharit, Chavos Yair) in which case one would not have to give up their life for it.
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Generally they say chavalah; R' Asher Weiss holds it's that we would like a potential life to become a full one, in the spirit of chalel alav shabbos achas ... -- which sounds more like an asei.– ShalomCommented Jun 1, 2023 at 6:57