pikuach nefesh en · NOUN
Etymology
Borrowed from Hebrew פיקוח נפש
Meanings
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(Judaism, uncountable) The religious commandment to save human life, which overrides most commandments.
After the massacre of 1,145 men, women, and children on October 7ᵗʰ, can anyone dare to say that the war against Hamas is not a matter of pikuaḥ nefesh?!
2024, David Golinkin, “Does Jewish Law Require Yeshivah Students To Be Drafted At Age 18?”, in Responsa in a Moment, volume 4, page 66: