There are situations in which a person must give up his life rather than sin, and this brings honor to Hashem’s name, as the פסוק in this week’s פרשה says: לי יִשְׂרָא וֹךְ בְׂנ י בְׂתשְׂתִ קְׂד וְׂנִ . This is the מצוה of קידוש ד'.
רש"י on the פסוק explains that the person’s intent must be that he is literally willing to give up his life. Because if he thinks that he will miraculously be saved, no miracle will be done for him.
Question
It seems from רש"י that it would be most ideal (and an even greater קידוש ד') if his life would actually be saved, and that is why the person’s intent must be pure, because only this would allow a miracle to happen. However, when רמב"ם teaches the הלכות of קידוש ד', he does not include this intent. Why not?
Answer
רמב"ם is a ספר הלכות, instructing how a Yid should live his life. So in this context, the focus is only on the obligation of the Yid, and what he must do, or what he is not allowed to do. The possibility of a miracle happening to him is in Hashem’s hand, not his. Therefore, the רמב"ם only teaches us the practical הלכה, in which circumstances a person is obligated to give up their life, without the consideration of what the outcome might be.
Further Discussion
רש"י teaches פשוטו של מקרא. What compels him to include the person’s intent, and the hopeful outcome of the miracle? (See אות ז in the שיחה)
