[Avodah] self defense against rape or assault

[Zev Sero]

On 30/08/2013 6:14 PM, Kenneth Miller wrote:
> R' Zev Sero wrote:

>> ... I think that's why the question was posed as it was, as
>> more theoretical than practical.  Suppose one *could* know
>> -- "as clear as  the day" -- that the beating one is suffering
>> (or about to suffer) would not result in death.

> In such a totally theoretical situation, I suppose it would indeed be
> forbidden to kill the attacker.

Maybe.  But as I wrote in my answer to the original post, I'm not so sure.
It's a good question, and there are svaros that can be advanced that one
may take "life" to mean "life or limb", and kill to prevent "sakanas ever",
and also that rape, even of a single woman who is tehorah and not related
to her attacker, can also be regarded as included in arayos, and in the
right the Torah gives to kill the would-be rapist of an ervah.


>> But I don't know why you use the words
>> why the question was posed as it was,
>> as more theoretical than practical.

> I saw nothing of that sort in R' Mordechai Cohen's post


See the last paragraph of the original post:
> Perhaps this is only theoretical because practically (except for
> father on child) one can assume that they may try to kill as per Bah
> b’machteres?




-- 
Zev Sero               A citizen may not be required to offer a 'good and
zev at sero.name          substantial reason' why he should be permitted to
                        exercise his rights. The right's existence is all
                        the reason he needs.
                            - Judge Benson E. Legg, Woollard v. Sheridan