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Does passive participation in a transgression require martyrdom under yehareg v'al yaavor? The Ri holds that women are like karka olam (passive) in gilui arayos, paralleling one who is pushed to commit murder. Both escape the obligation of martyrdom since they remain shev v'al tasa despite the transgression.
This shiur analyzes a fundamental dispute regarding yehareg v'al yaavor (martyrdom obligations) and the concept of passive transgression. The central question is whether someone who transgresses passively - without actively performing the forbidden act - is still obligated to choose death over sin. The Ri (Rabbeinu Yitzchok) presents a novel position regarding Esther's case. He argues that a woman is considered karka olam (like land/passive) in cases of gilui arayos (sexual transgression), and therefore does not have the obligation of yehareg v'al yaavor when forced into such situations. His reasoning draws a parallel to the case of rotzeach (murder): just as someone who is pushed onto another person to kill them is not obligated to die rather than be used as an instrument of murder, so too a woman who remains passive in gilui arayos is not required to choose martyrdom.
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Kesubos 3b
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