Noach 9:5 · unit 2

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

The Complete Passuk

וְאַ֨ךְ אֶת־דִּמְכֶ֤ם לְנַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶם֙ אֶדְרֹ֔שׁ…

But for your own life-blood I will require a reckoning…

Chabad.org — 9:5

Source Citation

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

Sefaria — Bava Kamma 91b

E-Daf image — Bava Kamma 91b (size=3)

Core Text of Chazal

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

English: “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.