Life in Danger
Question
I lived in NYC in 2020 when the BLM riots took place. Cars were surrounded by mobs and the drivers were pulled out and severely beaten. I suspect we may see this again. I am 70 years old. If my car is surrounded by a mob, and they haven’t done anything to me yet, am I allowed to floor the gas pedal and run over whoever is in front of my car?
Answers
Firstly, please accept my personal blessing that you never find yourself in such a terrible situation.
According to the Halacha you are. If there is no doubt that your life is in danger you are absolutely justified in keeping yourself safe and if that means driving through the mob it would be permissible to do so. Of course, if there is a different way to get away from the mob that does not include driving through them you would be obligated to choose the alternative route. However, the problem is not whether the Halacha permits it or not. The problem is that the current reality in America is that a person who feels under immediate threat to their life and drives through a crowd – especially if the people threatening them are black – is almost certainly going to end up in court and probably going to be sentenced to many years in jail.
Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team