Physical Harm and Human Dignity in Halacha

כִּֽי־תֵצֵ֥א מַחֲנֶ֖ה עַל־אֹיְבֶ֑יךָ וְנִ֨שְׁמַרְתָּ֔ מִכֹּ֖ל דָּבָ֥ר רָֽע׃ כִּי֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ מִתְהַלֵּ֣ךְ ׀ בְּקֶ֣רֶב מַחֲנֶ֗ךָ לְהַצִּֽילְךָ֙ וְלָתֵ֤ת אֹיְבֶ֙יךָ֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ וְהָיָ֥ה מַחֲנֶ֖יךָ קָד֑וֹשׁ וְלֹֽא־יִרְאֶ֤ה בְךָ֙ עֶרְוַ֣ת דָּבָ֔ר וְשָׁ֖ב מֵאַחֲרֶֽיךָ׃ {ס}

When you go out as a troop against your enemies, be on your guard against anything untoward. Since the ETERNAL your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you, let your camp be holy; let [God] not find anything unseemly among you and turn away from you.

אַרְבָּעִ֥ים יַכֶּ֖נּוּ לֹ֣א יֹסִ֑יף פֶּן־יֹסִ֨יף לְהַכֹּת֤וֹ עַל־אֵ֙לֶּה֙ מַכָּ֣ה רַבָּ֔ה וְנִקְלָ֥ה אָחִ֖יךָ לְעֵינֶֽיךָ׃

They may be given up to forty lashes, but not more, lest being flogged further, to excess, your peer be degraded before your eyes.

רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, יְהִי כְבוֹד חֲבֵרְךָ חָבִיב עָלֶיךָ כְּשֶׁלָּךְ, וְאַל תְּהִי נוֹחַ לִכְעֹס.

They [each] said three things: Rabbi Eliezer said: Let the honor of your friend be as dear to you as your own; And be not easily provoked to anger; And repent one day before your death.

שְׁמָרָהּ עוֹמֶדֶת עַל פֶּתַח חֲצֵירָהּ וְכוּ׳. וְהָתַנְיָא, אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא: צָלַלְתָּ בְּמַיִם אַדִּירִים וְהֶעֱלִיתָ חֶרֶס בְּיָדְךָ, אָדָם רַשַּׁאי לַחְבֹּל בְּעַצְמוֹ! אָמַר רָבָא: לָא קַשְׁיָא; כָּאן בַּחֲבָלָה, כָּאן בְּבוֹשֶׁת. וְהָא מַתְנִיתִין בְּבוֹשֶׁת הוּא,

The mishna relates that the man then waited for her until she was standing by the opening of her courtyard, and caused her to uncover her own head. Rabbi Akiva said that although she caused injury to herself, which is not permitted, this does not negate the man’s requirement to pay her compensation. The Gemara asks: But isn’t it taught in a baraita that Rabbi Akiva said to him: You plunged into mighty waters and you raised nothing more than worthless earthenware in your hand, since it is permitted for a person to injure himself. This contradicts the mishna’s account of Rabbi Akiva’s opinion. The Gemara answers: Rava said: It is not difficult. Here, in the mishna, where it states that one may not injure himself, it is stated with regard to inflicting actual physical injury, while there, in the baraita, where it states that it is permitted for one to injure himself, it is stated with regard to causing humiliation to oneself. The Gemara asks: But the ruling of Rabbi Akiva in the mishna is stated with regard to causing humiliation,

וְאַחַר שֶׁחוֹזְרִין כָּל הַחוֹזְרִין מֵעוֹרְכֵי הַמִּלְחָמָה. מְתַקְּנִין אֶת הַמַּעֲרָכוֹת. וּפוֹקְדִים שָׂרֵי צְבָאוֹת בְּרֹאשׁ הָעָם. וּמַעֲמִידִין מֵאָחוֹר כָּל מַעֲרָכָה וּמַעֲרָכָה שׁוֹטְרִים חֲזָקִים וְעַזִּים. וְכַשִּׁילִין שֶׁל בַּרְזֶל בִּידֵיהֶם. הָרוֹצֶה לַחְזֹר מִן הַמִּלְחָמָה הָרְשׁוּת בְּיָדָן לַחְתֹּךְ אֶת שׁוֹקוֹ. שֶׁתְּחִלַּת נְפִילָה נִיסָה. בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים שֶׁמַּחְזִירִין אֲנָשִׁים אֵלּוּ מֵעוֹרְכֵי הַמִּלְחָמָה בְּמִלְחֶמֶת הָרְשׁוּת. אֲבָל בְּמִלְחֶמֶת מִצְוָה הַכּל יוֹצְאִין וַאֲפִלּוּ חָתָן מֵחַדְרוֹ וְכַלָּה מֵחֻפָּתָהּ:

After these individuals depart from the battlefront, the army is arrayed again and commanding officers are appointed at the head of the nation. Powerful officers with iron axes in their hands are placed in the rear of each array of troops. If a person wants to leave the battle, they have permission to chop off his legs, for flight is the beginning of defeat. In which instances are the above-mentioned individuals sent away from the battlefront? In a milchemet hareshut. By contrast, in a milchemet mitzvah, the entire nation must go out to war, even a groom from his chamber, and a bride from her pavilion.

אסור לאדם להכו' חבירו ואם הכהו עובר בלאו שנא' פן יוסיף ואם הקפידה תורה בהכאת רשע שלא להכותו יותר על רשעו קל וחומר בהכאת צדיק והמרים יד על חבירו להכותו אע"פ שלא הכהו נקרא רשע:

שֶׁהֲרֵי עִיקָר הַצֶּלֶם וְהַדְּמוּת הָעֶלְיוֹן הֵן פְּעֻלּוֹתָיו, וּמַה יוֹעִיל לוֹ הֱיוֹתוֹ כְּצוּרָה הָעֶלְיוֹנָה דְּמוּת תַּבְנִית אֵבָרָיו וּבַפְּעֻלּוֹת לֹא יִתְדַמֶּה לְקוֹנוֹ. לְפִיכָךְ רָאוּי שֶׁיִּתְדַּמֶּה אֶל פְּעֻלּוֹת הַכֶּתֶר שֶׁהֵן י"ג מִדּוֹת שֶׁל רַחֲמִים עֶלְיוֹנוֹת. וּרְמוּזוֹת בְּסוֹד הַפְּסוּקִים (מיכה ז, יח) מִי אֵל כָּמוֹךָ. יָשׁוּב יְרַחֲמֵנוּ.

As if he is alike in his body but not in his actions, he betrays the Form; and they will say about him, "A lovely form, but ugly deeds." As behold, the essence of the Highest Image and Likeness is His actions. And what will it benefit him to have the structure of his limbs like the Highest Form, but not resemble his Creator in his actions? Therefore it is fitting that he should [make his actions] resemble the actions of the Crown (Keter), which are the thirteen highest traits of mercy.