LIVE BY THE MITZVOS
ויקרא פרק יח, ה וּשְמַרְ תֶם אֶת-חֻקֹתַי וְאֶת-מִשְ פָטַי אֲשֶר יַעֲשֶה אֹתָם הָאָדָם וָחַי בָהֶם אֲנִי ה'
מסכת יומא דף פה/ב מניין לפקוח נפש שדוחה את השבת א"ר יהודה אמר שמואל אי הואי התם הוה אמינא דידי עדיפא מדידהו וחי בהם ולא שימות בהם
Rambam emphasizes that one may not tarry to violate Shabbos when needed to assist a sick person that is in danger. The verse says that we live due to the Mitzvos and not to die due to them. The Torah was given not to be vengeful, but given to bring mercy and peace to the world.
The Rambam’s expression of mercy (רחמים) is a little difficult. The Gemara (Berachos 33b) states regarding a bird’s nest that one that says the command shows how far His mercy reaches, should be quieted, since we do not ascribe mercy to the ways of HaShem, only that He decrees. Thus, it appears that it is not permitted to ascribe the reason of mercy to G-d’s mitzvos.
Perhaps the intention in that prohibition is a general matter that one should not ascribe the reasons for mitzvos are due to mercy. But one can describe the result of Torah is that mercy and peace are found in the world. And this is not the place to fully discuss this matter.
