DEUT293 ... a person should not expose himself to danger, relying on the Divine decree [that he will live a definite term], and ingest deadly poisons; or risk his life by battling lions or other wild animals if he does not have to, or by hurling himself into the sea or into fire; or undertake other adventures in which a person cannot be sure of his safety and endangers himself. Scripture has cautioned us in this regard, saying: “Do not try Hashem your God, as you did at Massah” (Devarim 6:16). For one who acts in this fashion cannot escape one of [the following] two possibilities] either he will perish or he will survive]. If he perishes through his rashness, he will have committed suicide, for which he will be held responsible as if he had killed another human being-- notwithstanding the fact that his dying in this way was in accordance with God's decree and took place with His permission. He is he has cautioned us not to kill any human being in any way, saying: “Do not murder” (Shemos 20:13). The closer his relationship to the murdered person, the more culpable is the murderer, as it is written: “Because he pursued his brother with the sword and cut off all pity” (Amos 1:11). Accordingly [as none is closer to a person than he is to himself], he who kills himself undoubtedly deserves severe punishment. For he may be compared to a servant whose master ordered him to guard a certain place for a certain amount of time, warning him not to abandon his post until the arrival of his messenger. When the servant saw that the messenger was late in coming, he abandoned his post before the latter came. [As a result], his master grew angry with him and punished him severely. So too, one who commits suicide leaves God’s service and rebels against Him, by exposing himself to lethal danger. That is why you will find that when Shemuel, peace be upon him, said, “How can I go? If Sha’ul hears of it, he will kill me!” (Shemuel I, 16:2), it was not considered a lapse in his reliance on God. Rather, God's answer to him indicates that his prudence was commendable, as He said to him: “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to God’” (ibid.). If [the prophet 's question] had been [considered] a lack of trust [in God], the reply to him would have been: “I put to death and bring to life, I wounded and I will heal” (Devarim 32:39), or the like, as when Moshe pleaded, “But I am slow of speech and slow of tongue” (Shemos 4:10), and God answered: “Who gave man a mouth? Who makes him dumb or deaf, seeing or blind?” (ibid. 4:11). Now, if Shemuel, with his perfect piety, did not take the liberty of exposing himself [even] to a slight risk of danger-- though his doing so would have been in [response to] the command of the Creator, may He be exalted, Who had said [to him], “Fill your horn with oil and go! I am sending you to Yishay of Beis Lechem” (Shemuel I, 16:1) -- then it would certainly be reprehensible if that were done by someone who was not [acting] in [response to] the command of the Creator, May He be exalted. (Continued at [[GEN1371]] Genesis 32:11 unworthy DUTIES 401-5).