Here’s another ethical issue and Jewish source response:

Case

The movie The War with Kevin Costner and Elijah Wood echoes a famous Talmudic case.  In the movie the Costner character is in Vietnam and carries a wounded friend for miles to save his life.  When he is rescued by the helicopter he finds out that there is room for only one on this helicopter (it cannot lift any more weight).  And he finds out this is the last helicopter. He must choose between saving himself and saving his very badly wounded and fairly-certain-to-die friend.  (In the Talmud, we have a case where two men are in the desert and only once has a canteen. If they share, both will die.)

Answer

[b] In the Talmud, Bava Metzia 62a, we find the case:

“Two people are traveling on a journey far from civilization.  One of them has a pitcher of water. If they share the water, they will both die, but if only one drinks, he can reach civilization.  What should they do?”

“The Son of Patura taught: It is better that both drink and die, rather than that one should behold his companion’s death.”

Rabbi Akiba won the argument by quoting Leviticus 25:36 where it says:

“If your brother/sister becomes poor and near you – his hand falters- you shall hold onto him … so that s/he can live with you.

Rabbi Akiba emphasized the words “with you.”  He said that they established a principle that we don’t reject one life to save another.  Therefore, you don’t share the water when both of you will die-you drink it yourself.

[c] Sifra (a commentary on the book of Leviticus) on Leviticus 25:36 says: “You do not judge ‘whose blood is redder.’  You save yourself.”

Talmudically, Costner does the right thing-despite the guilty feelings-when he gets on the helicopter and saves himself.

Joel Grishaver, “You Be the Judge”, pgs. 7-8

Used with permission from Joel Grishaver