What if a Jew is dying and needs an organ transplant? This is the only thing that can save him. But the source is a questionable one. Perfectly healthy prisoners in a foreign country who are not guilty of any capital crimes are killed, their organs harvested and then sold on the world black market. Can a Jew buy such an organ if it is the only way to save his life? One might think the answer to this question is of course. Pikuach Nefesh trumps everything. But that is not so. It is a Chilul HaShem for Jews to exploit the moral corruption of such a regime.
How can this be? We are talking about Pikuach Nefesh. And the victims are non-Jews? And it is probably after the fact? A life is at stake? No matter. It is Assur.
And lest anyone say, “There goes the liberal Centrist rabbi again, with his political correctness deciding matters of life and death!” …Sorry. It isn’t only me. I have on my side a respected Posek on this issue, Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv. He says it's Assur too.
Chilul HaShem is that serious. It trumps Pikuach Nefesh. I think some of the zealots who are so quick to jump on the protest bandwagons when Chilul HaShem is such a clear outcome ought to think twice about the results of their actions.
And this is exactly why Chilul HaShem trumps protesting a parade of homosexuals in Jerusalem. Though they trumpet their pride in behavior which the Torah calls Toevah, and for which the Torah mandates capital punishment if the proper Halachic parameters of jurisprudence are fulfilled, the Chilul HaShem that could result from such a protest makes it forbidden to do so.
Updated: 6/24/07 12:50 PM CDT
