Noach 9:5 · unit 2

TT #49 · Parashas Noach · Fourth Aliyah · Passuk 9:5

The Complete Passuk

וְאַ֨ךְ אֶת־דִּמְכֶ֤ם לְנַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶם֙ אֶדְרֹ֔שׁ מִיַּ֥ד כָּל־חַיָּ֖ה אֶדְרְשֶׁ֑נּוּ וּמִיַּ֣ד הָֽאָדָ֗ם מִיַּד֙ אִ֣ישׁ אָחִ֔יו אֶדְרֹ֖שׁ אֶת־נֶ֥פֶשׁ הָאָדָֽם׃

But for your own life-blood I will require a reckoning, from every beast I will require it, and from man; from every man, his brother, I will require a reckoning for the life of man.

Chabad.org — 9:5

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to R’ Elazar (Bava Kama 91b) — prohibition of self-injury.

Sefaria — Bava Kama 91b

E-Daf image — Bava Kama 91b (size=3)

Core Text of Chazal

לְנַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם אֶדְרֹשׁ — רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר: מִיַּד נַפְשׁוֹתֵיכֶם אֶדְרֹשׁ דִּמְכֶם, מִכָּאן שֶׁאֵין אָדָם רַשַּׁאי לְחַבֵּל בְּעַצְמוֹ.

“For your lives I will require” — R’ Elazar says: From your own lives I will require your blood; from here [we learn] that a person is not permitted to injure himself.

Type of Learning

Custom (prohibition of self-harm derived from “le-nafshoteichem”).

What Is Learned

A person may not willfully injure his own body; Hashem demands a reckoning even for self-inflicted harm.