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GCSE Religious Studies · key term
The Jewish principle that preserving human life takes priority over most other religious duties.
Used by AQA and Eduqas
Paper 1
The Jewish obligation to save human life, which takes priority over most other religious commandments.
Revise: Sanctity of Human LifePikuach Nefesh is the Jewish obligation to save human life. It turns belief in life's sacredness into action: a person should help preserve their own life and the lives of others rather than merely agree that life is valuable.
Paper 1, Paper 3
Revise: Sexual Relationships in JudaismThe principle of pikuach nefesh, preserving life, supports preventing a pregnancy that would endanger her life. Responsible spacing of children may also be permitted, although avoiding children altogether conflicts with the traditional duty to have a family. Couples often seek advice from a rabbi, who considers their particular circumstances.
The Jewish principle of saving human life, which takes priority over most religious laws when life is endangered.
The Jewish principle that saving human life takes priority over almost all other religious obligations.
The Jewish obligation to save human life, which normally takes priority over other commandments.
The Jewish principle of saving or preserving human life, which takes priority over almost all other religious duties when life is in danger.
Describe Pikuach Nefesh as overriding most commandments, not every commandment. Murder, idolatry and prohibited sexual acts such as incest and adultery are exceptions.
Connect a teaching to its implication: being created in God’s image supports human dignity; pikuach nefesh supports taking action to save life.
Pikuach nefesh normally overrides other commandments; it does not mean that every religious rule can be ignored whenever someone thinks it convenient.
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