by Raziel Siegman ('17) On Sunday Morning, in commemoration of the fifteenth anniversary of the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks against the United States, Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Taubes went to each 12th Grade shiur in order to discuss various aspects of this tragic day and some of its halachic applications with the talmidim. After detailing the shock waves of horror and personal catastrophe that were felt that day throughout the NYC area, Rabbi Taubes pointed out that many of those who tragically lost their lives when the Twin Towers collapsed were rescue workers from the police and fire departments. He then noted that there is a fascinating machlokes as to whether one would be obligated or even allowed to enter a situation which would endanger his own life in order to save the life of another person. Among the considerations is the fact that Judaism places a very high value on human life and forbids us to act in ways that would harm our own lives. On the other hand, it can also be reasoned that the importance of the other person's life is what allows and indeed mandates that one do whatever one can in order to save the other person at nearly any expense, perhaps even at the risk of his own safety. Based on Rabbinic sources, Rabbi Taubes concluded that there is no blanket rule for when one is allowed to endanger his own life to save another, as there are many, many variables. Rather, one must judge the situation at hand and assess whether he is taking a reasonable risk, as in the case of a firefighter entering a burning building, which is usually considered the norm for him due to his training, or a professional lifeguard jumping into rough waters in which somebody is drowning. We commend all those who risked their lives in order to save others, and mourn those who passed away doing so.