[Avodah] Water bottle in the desert

[Danny Schoemann]

>> But once the baby has crowned, why does it stop being a rodef if this
>> was truly a case of rodef(I believe it was K'rodef but not a real
>> rodef is the answer)?

>No, the answer is "min hashamayim ka-radfu lah"; death in childbirth
>was seen as natural, and therefore not attributable to the baby.
>It seems to me that in a case where it is clearly the baby who is
>endangering the mother, then he is a rodef even if he has crowned.

The KSA in 184:11 puts it slightly differently:

A mother who "Makshe Leiled" - is in mortal danger during childbirht:
as long as the baby is in the womb, one may kill it; since it hasn't
been born yet it isn't called a Nefesh, and in order to save the
mother one may kill it since it's like a Rodef after another to kill
him.

But once the baby has crowned one may not touch it since "Ein dochin
Nefesh Mipney Nefesh"; it's not up to us to decide who should live,
and this is the way of the world.

- Danny