Deep in the Alaskan wilderness, Camp Tikvah hosts a remote Pesach retreat. Families gather to celebrate, their voices echoing with joyous songs and Torah discussions. But the serenity is shattered when guests begin fainting, gripped by fever and violent coughing.
Within hours, it becomes clear – a deadly airborne virus is spreading. Supplies are dwindling, and without immediate medical intervention, many will not survive.
A distress call is sent to Anchorage. The response is swift. Captain Ephraim Goldstein, an experienced pilot known for his courage, is dispatched in a military helicopter with a crate of antivirals. With a storm rolling in, every moment counts.
After Goldstein’s helicopter lifts off, a shocking discovery is made at the Anchorage base. The crate loaded onto the chopper does not contain antivirals – it holds an experimental drug that would be fatal to the weakened patients. A catastrophic mistake.
With the blizzard intensifying, radio communication with the helicopter is lost. Frantic attempts to warn Camp Tikvah and Goldstein fail. Time is slipping away.
Commander Walker, overseeing the operation, makes a grim decision. A military drone is launched to intercept the helicopter. But what should be done if they cannot establish communication in time?
Two high-ranking military officers, General Yair and General Ziv, step away from the commotion into a secluded briefing room. Their hushed conversation carries the weight of life and death.
Yair: We must discuss the unthinkable. What if we can’t reach Goldstein?
Ziv: I know what you’re implying. You’re considering using the drone to shoot down the helicopter.
Yair: If Goldstein administers that drug, it will kill everyone at the retreat. We may have to sacrifice one life to save many.
Ziv: This is a well-known halacha. If someone is pursuing another to kill him, he is called a rodeif, a pursuer. The victim is permitted to stop the rodeif by any means necessary. In this case, Goldstein is, unintentionally, a rodeif. We are justified in stopping him.
Yair: But that halacha applies when the intended victim defends themselves. Here, we would be killing the rodeif. Do we, as outsiders, have the authority?
Ziv: The Rambam teaches that anyone who witnesses a rodeif must act. Goldstein’s actions –though unintentional – will lead to mass casualties. If we can stop him, we must.
Yair: But consider the Gemara in Sanhedrin. It describes a woman in childbirth. If the baby endangers her life, we cannot harm it once it is partially born. We do not pick one life over another. How can we justify choosing the lives of the camp’s guests over Goldstein’s?
Ziv: That case is different. There, we are choosing between two lives. Here, we are preventing many deaths by stopping just one. That is a significant distinction.
Yair: But look at the case of Sheva ben Bichri. He endangered an entire city, and the townspeople killed him to save themselves. Rashi explains that they were only justified because otherwise, the whole city – including Sheva – would have been destroyed. If not for the fact that Sheva himself would have been killed, they would not have been allowed to kill a lone individual to save many.
Ziv: Hmm. I remember that Rashi provides another reason why they were permitted to kill Sheva Ben Bichri.
Yair: That other explanation won’t support your position either. Rashi states that they killed Sheva Ben Bichri because he was deserving of the death penalty for being a mored b’malchus, he rebelled against the king.
Ziv: The Rambam offers another perspective. He says that a rodeif is not just someone with murderous intent. Even an individual taking any action that puts lives in danger is a rodeif. Goldstein’s flight, though heroic, poses an undeniable threat. This is in contradistinction to the partially born baby. The baby is not taking any action on its own to endanger its mother. It is following a natural course of being born. Therefore, we cannot harm the baby to save the mother.
Yair: The Tiferes Yisroel disagrees. He clarifies that a person can only be subjected to sacrifice if their poor decisions have caused the danger. He provides an example of a medieval forger who endangers an entire city. This individual’s actions put everyone’s lives at risk, and the authorities may seek revenge against the whole city. Since the forger made a bad decision, it is permissible to hand him over to the authorities in order to save the lives of the people in the city. This remains true even if we know the authorities may irrationally execute the forger. In contrast, Goldstein made no mistakes. Thus, by this reasoning, we cannot classify him as a rodeif.
Ziv: True, but the Rambam’s position seems clear: action itself determines rodeif status. The Rambam is a Rishon, and we should follow his ruling. Goldstein is taking action. We should eliminate the threat.
Yair: Let us consult Rav Elyashiv before making this irreversible decision.
They dial the rabbi’s secure line, explaining the dire situation. His voice, calm yet firm, delivers the verdict.
Rav Elyashiv: Even according to the Rambam, the pilot is not considered a rodeif. Captain Goldstein is acting in the opposite manner of a rodeif – he is risking his life to save others. He is doing exactly what you asked of him; in fact, he believes he is performing a mitzvah. You cannot label such a person a rodeif. Therefore, you cannot shoot down the helicopter; you must find an alternative solution. May Hashem send you guidance.
The drone, locked onto the helicopter, awaits orders. Yair, inspired by a final idea, turns to the drone operator.
Yair: Can we use the drone’s infrared laser to signal him?
Operator: In theory, yes. What do you want to say?
Yair: Flash STOP in Morse code against the fuselage. It’s our only chance.
The infrared beam flickers against the helicopter’s side. Inside the cockpit, Goldstein notices the unusual flashes. He deciphers the message and realizes something is wrong. He veers away from Camp Tikvah, instead returning to base.
Minutes later, the emergency signal is restored. Anchorage confirms the mix-up. A second helicopter, carrying the correct anti-virals, is dispatched.
Maggid shiur and Rebbe at Yeshiva Ateres Shimon in Far Rockaway. He leads the Daf Yomi chaburah at Eitz Chayim of Dogwood Park in West Hempstead, and writes “Delving into the Daf” each week for The Jewish Home.
