(47) Self Defense

This podcast will discuss both a philosophical and a very practical dilemma, unfortunately all too common in the twenty first century: if a person is approaching you to attack or even kill you, what legal and moral right do you have to hurt this individual before he or she has actually hurts you? If you wait until after you are stabbed, you will have concrete evidence of the crime, but you might not be alive to report the crime or even defend yourself... but until the person physically attacks, he or she has committed no crime. How is the potential victim legally permitted to defend himself by attacking the other person before an attack has taken place? Judaism has much to say about this issue. This discussion and practical applications have many ramifications in Jewish law that apply today.