Life comes first

(1) ה' spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when they drew too close to the presence of ה'.

After the death etc. Why does he mention their death on the Day of Atonement, to teach you that just as the Day of Atonement atones for Israel, so the death of righteous people atones for Israel

In Rebbi Joḥanan’s opinion, why is the death of Aaron’s sons mentioned in the matter when they died during initiation? Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said, Aaron’s sons died on the First of Nisan; why does He mention their death at the Day of Atonement? To teach you that just as the Day of Atonement atones for Israel, so the death of the Just atones for Israel. Rebbi Ba bar Binah said, why did the verse append the death of Miriam to the Chapter of the Cow? To teach you that just as the ashes of the Cow atone for Israel, so the death of the Just atones for Israel.

Rebbi Yudan bar Shalom said, why did the verse append the death of Aaron to the breaking of the Tablets? To teach you that the death of the Just is as hard for the Holy One, praise to Him, as the breaking of the Tablets.

(1) ה' spoke to Moses, saying: (2) Speak to the Israelite people and say to them: I ה' am your God. (3) You shall not copy the practices of the land of Egypt where you dwelt, or of the land of Canaan to which I am taking you; nor shall you follow their laws. (4) My rules alone shall you observe, and faithfully follow My laws: I ה' am your God. (5) You shall keep My laws and My rules, by the pursuit of which human beings shall live: I am ה'.

alt trans. You shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the Lord. (Koren)

וחי בהם means, THAT HE SHALL LIVE THROUGH THEM in the world to come (eternal life). For if you say it means that he shall live in this world, is it not a fact that in the end he must die! (Sifra, Acharei Mot, Section 8 10; cf. also Targ. Onkelos)

The reason Scripture states,

Ye shall therefore keep My statutes, and Mine ordinances (v. 5) is to make it clear that they are a source of life in both worlds to those who observe them. God will give eternal life to the person who understands their secret. He will never die. Scripture, as I have explained, therefore reads, I am the Lord your God.

וחי בהם, “and live by them;” the implication is that failing to perform the commandments will bring about those people’s deaths, i.e. their souls will be wiped out, their connection to the Jewish nation will cease. (as spelled out more specifically in verse 29 of this chapter.)

(1) These [martyrs] I will remember

(2) and pour out my soul within me.191Tehillim 42:5 (See Metsudah) For wicked people have swallowed us, like a cake, unturned, [not fully baked]192This verse, based on Hosea 7:8, indicates the zealousness and eagerness with which the anti-Semites pursued their murder of Jews. for during the days of Caeser193The ten martyrs mentioned in this piyut did not live in the same era. The majority of executions, however, took place during the reign of Hadrian at the instigation of Tornasropos, during the time of the destruction of the Second Temple. there was no remedy [reprieve] for the ten martyrs, doomed to death by the [Roman] government.

(10) Rabbi Yishmael purified himself. According to the Midrash (version I), “Rabbi Yishmael purified himself [with immersion and sanctifications, wrapped himself in his Talis, put on his Tefillin,] and then pronounced the explicit Name of Hashem.” [and, trembling, uttered the Name, and ascended to heaven, The Midrash (versions II, III) says that immediately thereafter a wind carried him up to the sixth heaven. and asked the man who wore garments of linen. According to the first Midrash, this person is identified as the angel, Gavri’el, but in the second and third Midrashim, it refers to Matatron, the “angel of the interior.” He answered him, “Accept it upon yourselves beloved, righteous ones, for I have heard from behind the separation The term “פַּרְגוֹד” “Pargod” refers to the separation between the sky and Hashem’s Presence, the “Shechina.” (Maseches Berachos 18b). According to the Midrash, version II, Matatron told him, “I heard from behind the ‘pargod’ a voice saying, ten of Yisrael’s scholars will be handed over to the emperor. An argument had taken place in Hashem’s Presence, between the angels, Micha’el, and Samo’el. Samo’el said, “Master of the World, You have surely not written one letter in the entire Torah for nothing, and yet it is written ‘if a man kidnaps’ etc.; and the sons of Yaakov have still not been punished for selling Yosef. Immediately Hashem decreed that ten of Yisrael’s sages would be killed.” that this will be your demise.”

(11) He descended and told his friends the words of God. In the Midrash (version III): He found his friends fasting and praying. They asked him, “What do you have to tell us?” He answered them “Go, wash yourselves, purify yourselves, and put on your white garments” (referring to garments placed on the deceased) for this has been decreed by Hashem.” When R’ Yishmael told them that they were considered equal to the sons of Yaakov, they rejoiced, and made a feast.

The evil tyrant then commanded to kill them with force and strength. The two which were taken first were great ones in Yisrael, Rabbi Yishmael, the High Priest, and Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, the head of the High Court.209The word “Nasi” used literally means “prince” of Yisrael, referring to the fact that Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel was a direct descendant of King Dovid, as well as head of the Jewish High Court.

(19) I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day: I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life—if you and your offspring would live— (20) by loving your God ה', heeding God’s commands, and holding fast to [God]. For thereby you shall have life and shall long endure upon the soil that ה' swore to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give to them.

The [laws of] the Sabbath are suspended in the face of a danger to life, as are [the obligations of] the other mitzvot. Therefore, we may perform - according to the directives of a professional physician of that locale - everything that is necessary for the benefit of a sick person whose life is in danger.
When there is a doubt whether or not the Sabbath laws must be violated on a person's behalf, one should violate the Sabbath laws on his behalf, for the Sabbath laws are suspended even when there is merely a question of danger to a person's life. [The same principles apply] when one physician says the Sabbath laws should be violated on a person's behalf and another physician states that this is not necessary.

And these acts should not be performed by gentiles or Samaritans but should be done by the greatest of the Jewish people, i.e., their scholars, who know how to act properly. And one does not say: These actions may be performed based on the advice of women or Samaritans, since they are not considered experts able to declare a person ill enough to override Shabbat. However, the opinions of these people do combine with an additional opinion, meaning that if there is a dispute, their opinions may be considered when coming to a decision.

§ The Sages taught in a baraita: One engages in saving a life on Shabbat, and one who is vigilant to do so is praiseworthy. And one need not take permission from a court but hurries to act on his own. How so? If one sees a child who fell into the sea, he spreads a fisherman’s net and raises him from the water. And one who is vigilant and acts quickly is praiseworthy, and one need not seek permission from a court, although in doing so he catches fish in the net as well. Similarly, if one sees a child fall into a pit and the child cannot get out, he digs part of the ground out around the edge of the pit to create a makeshift step and raises him out. And one who is vigilant and acts quickly is praiseworthy, and one need not seek permission from a court, although in doing so he fashions a step.

(43) Now when Bacchides heard hereof, he came on the sabbath day unto the banks of Jordan with a great power.

(44) Then Jonathan said to his company,

(45) Let us go up now and fight for our lives, for it standeth not with us to day, as in time past:

(46) For, behold, the battle is before us and behind us, and the water of Jordan on this side and that side, the marsh likewise and wood, neither is there place for us to turn aside.

(47) Wherefore cry ye now unto heaven, that ye may be delivered from the hand of your enemies.

(48) With that they joined battle, and Jonathan stretched forth his hand to smite Bacchides, but he turned back from him.

(49) Then Jonathan and they that were with him leapt into Jordan, and swam over unto the other bank: howbeit the other passed not over Jordan unto them.

(34) and having overtaken them, they camped against them, and made war against them on the sabbath day. And they said unto them,

(35) Let that which ye have done hitherto suffice; come forth, and do according to the commandment of the king, and ye shall live.

(36) But they said, We will not come forth, neither will we do the king’s commandment, to profane the sabbath day

(37) So then they gave them the battle with all speed.

(38) Howbeit they answered them not, neither cast they a stone at them, nor stopped the places where they lay hid;

(39) But said, Let us die all in our innocency: heaven and earth will testify for us, that ye put us to death wrongfully.

(40) So they rose up against them in battle on the sabbath, and they slew them, with their wives and children and their cattle,

(41) to the number of a thousand people.

(42) Now when Mattathias and his friends understood hereof, they mourned for them right sore.

(43) And one of them said to another, If we all do as our brethren have done, and fight not for our lives and laws against the heathen, they will now quickly root us out of the earth.

(44) At that time therefore they decreed, saying, Whosoever shall come to make battle with us on the sabbath day, we will fight against him; neither will we die all, as our brethren that were murdered in the secret places.

(45) Then came there unto him a company of Assideans who were mighty men of Israel, even all such as were voluntarily devoted unto the law.

(46) Also all they that fled for persecution joined themselves unto them, and were a stay unto them. So they joined their forces, and smote sinful men in their anger, and wicked men in their wrath: but the rest fled to the heathen for succour.

(47) Then Mattathias and his friends went round about, and pulled down the altars: And what children soever they found within the coast of Israel uncircumcised, those they circumcised valiantly.

(48) They pursued also after the proud men, and the work prospered in their hand.

(49) So they recovered the law out of the hand of the Gentiles, and out of the hand of kings, neither suffered they the sinner to triumph.

“And your brother shall live with you” (Leviticus 25:36), from which it is derived: Return the interest to him so that he may live. The Gemara asks: And Rabbi Yoḥanan, what does he do with this verse: “And your brother shall live with you”? The Gemara answers: He requires the verse for that which is taught in a baraita:

If two people were walking on a desolate path and there was a jug [kiton] of water in the possession of one of them, and the situation was such that if both drink from the jug, both will die, as there is not enough water, but if only one of them drinks, he will reach a settled area, there is a dispute as to the halakha. Ben Petora taught: It is preferable that both of them drink and die, and let neither one of them see the death of the other. This was the accepted opinion until Rabbi Akiva came and taught that the verse states: “And your brother shall live with you,” indicating that your life takes precedence over the life of the other.