[Avodah] Matisyahu, Pikuach Nefesh Dochah Shabbos

[Elchanan Schulgasser]

I am looking for a Chazal (maybe), on which a shiur by R' Yaakov Weinberg
zt"l was largely based (the shiur is "The Essense of Chanuka", available at
aishaudio.com).

As told, the Yavanim would wait until Shabbos and then go out to find the
caves in which Jews were hiding in order to kill them (the Jews) while they
(again the Jews) were defenseless. This slaughter went on until Matisyahu
told everyone that pikuach nefesh is dochah Shabbos.

Of course, there are questions on this (not the least of which is you didn't
need Matisyahu to know that PN is dochah Shabbos) and the shiur answers many
of them. But my question is simply if anyone could point me to the source of
this...Chazal? Rishon?

Thank you and a Lichtige Chanuka,
Elchanan Schulgasser
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