The Dearness of the Jewish Soul
4. Based on the above, it appears that it is possible to explain the wording Rashi uses in his commentary on the Talmud where he cites the teaching based on “[by fulfilling] them [man] will live” – that pikuach nefesh overrides the observance of all the mitzvos – and explains,
“The reason for this is that the souls of the Jewish people are cherished by the Omnipresent more than the mitzvos. The Holy One, blessed be He, says, ‘Let the mitzvah be nullified and this person live.’ ”
However, when explaining the teaching based on “[by fulfilling] them [man] will live” with regard to Shabbos – that pikuach nefesh overrides the Shabbos prohibitions even when there is merely a possibility of life-threatening danger – Rashi states,
“The person should fulfill the mitzvos so that he will certainly live because of them and not that their observance should lead him to the brink of death. Thus, [the Shabbos laws] are not observed even when it is possible that [the person’s] life will not be saved.”
With regard to all the other mitzvos, Rashi explains that pikuach nefesh is given priority because of the dearness of the Jewish souls, “Let the mitzvah be nullified and this person live.” The implication is that the mitzvah is being temporarily nullified because of the threat to the person’s life. By contrast, with regard to Shabbos, the fact that pikuach nefesh overrides its prohibitions does not constitute the nullification of the mitzvah. Rather, it is an element of its observance. The mitzvah was to be observed so that he will live because of it and not that its observance should lead him to the brink of death.
