As we know there are certain sins a Jew cannot commit like murder or idol worship. A Jew should rather die than commit these sins. Does this apply to gentiles as well?
Add a comment
|
1 Answer
The Rambam (Laws of Kings and Wars 10:2) rules that
A non-Jew may violate one of the Commandments if he is forced to do so. Even if he was forced to worship idols, he may do so, since non-Jews are not commanded to Sanctify the Name.
The Rambam follows the view that yehareg ve-al ya'avor (the obligation for a Jew to let himself be killed rather than transgress the laws of idolatry, murder of forbidden relations) is based upon the commandment to sanctify the name of God (and not the inherent nature of these commandments) and that a non-Jew doesn't have this obligation to sanctify the name of God. See more on that discussion in the gemara in Sanhedrin 74b.