It Makes Sense Not to Kill Anyone, Right ... ?
The Obligation to protect human life
The prohibition of murder and injury
It seems and is it a logical prohibition not to kill another human being. Mankind was created in G-d’s Image and, therefore, possesses a dimension of Holiness (Genesis 1:27). When a man is murdered, it diminishes the Image of G-d in this world. The ultimate image of G-d is wanting to give goodness. All the potential good deeds one could have given to the world are lost through murder. If this person still had descendants, they would also have been "murdered," their good deeds also do not come into the world.
Murder goes directly against the commandment that G-d gave to people "to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth" (Genesis 1:28).
Life is the most important gift that G-d gave to man on loan. He expects us to guard and preserve it. Life belongs to Him and therefore the prohibition includes:
euthanasia, abortion and suicide. It does not include killing someone to protect your own life. It contains rules about when it is permissible to give one's life for the observance of the Noahide Laws.
Protect life, it is the greatest gift a person has received.
Brought By Angelique Sijbolts
Angelique Sijbolts is one of the main writers for the Noahide Academy. She has been an observant Noahide for many years. She studies Torah with Rabbi Perets every week. Angelique invests much of her time in editing video-lectures for the Rabbis of the Academy and contributes in administrating the Academy's website in English and Dutch. She lives in the north of the Netherlands. Married and mother of two sons. She works as a teacher in a school with students with special needs. And is a Hebrew Teacher for the levels beginners en intermediate. She likes to walk, to read and play the piano.
Sources
The Divine Code
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Life is holy, indeed. Unlike idolatry and blasphemy, which are strictly between man and God, the other commandments involve also relationships between humans. Murder is special in the ethical lens in that it cannot have any practical exceptions with respect to taking another's life, for it involves all of life without qualification or differentiation (The Divine Code, 2nd ed., Topic 1:9, p. 383). Thus, if one is forced to murder someone else (The Divine Code, 2nd ed., Topic 2:4, p. 400), one ought to surrender their life instead of taking the other fellow's life.