Selected Responsa 147

of danger, carelessness as to one’s food, etc., neglect of precautions such as covering a well, special experiences such as the desert journey, and martyrdom, in all of these it is a general duty to avoid danger.

All the cases mentioned deal with one’s personal obligations and, except directly by way of analogy, do not concern the personal danger in fulfillment of one’s duty to the government. There is, for example, no direct law which makes use of the verse in Psalm 110,3 which Rashi and Kimchi understand to mean that the people gladly volunteered for war no one was freed from the danger of war but all were obligated to go(M. Sota VIIL7; Maimonides , Yad, Hil. Melakhim V, 1-2). All this refers to the wars of Israel . Of course there is, as has been stated, no question as to the duty to obey the command to serve in the armies of the lands of our citizenship, but to what extent is it a moral or religious

duty to take on voluntarily the dangers of such war?

As to that there can be no religious mandate, just as there is 00 secular mandate. Yet David Hoffman in Melamed L’ho-il, Orah Hayim 42, in discussing the duty to serve in the army makes clear the fact that it involves sakana and sakana can lead to violation of the Sabbath ; nevertheless he indicates that such violation of the Sabbath involving danger is permitted if the journey or the enterprise is for the purpose of fulfilling a mitzvah, (based chiefly upon Bet Joseph to Tur Orah Hayim 248). Then he continues that not to serve in the Army involves more than the failure to observe a mitzvah but actually a sin of the profanation of the Name because of the effect that such evasion would have on the good name of the Jewish community. With regard to the chaplaincy, both elements are involved. There is certainly the Mitzvah of making possible regular worship for the soldiers and Also the avoidance of profanation of the Name if too few chaplains Would be available. For these two reasons it is permitted to accept Sakana which would lead to violation of the Sabbath . Yet there is 4 religious duty to keep others from danger and to diminish their Peril. He who does not do what he can to save others, violates the