Halakhah su Levitico 25:36

(4) And if through his lashon hara or rechiluth he lowers his friend so that he loses his livelihood as a result, as when through evil-heartedness he publicizes his friend as being dishonest, or, if he is a worker, as being unfit for his work, or the like, he also transgresses (Vayikra 25:35): "And if your brother grows poor and his hand falls with you, then you shall uphold him [even if he be], proselyte or sojourner; and he shall live with you." And (Ibid 16): "And your brother shall live with you," whereby we have been commanded to uphold the hand of an Israelite who has fallen ["on hard times,"], either by giving him a gift or a loan, or by going into partnership with him, or by finding a job for him, so that he be strengthened thereby and not fall and be beholden to men. How much more so are we commanded not to cause him to lose his livelihood!

In addition, Ramban, in his Commentary on the Bible, Leviticus 25:36, interprets the verse, "And your brother shall live with you," as constituting a general obligation to preserve the life of one's fellow. Earlier, R. Aḥa'i Ga'on, She'iltot, She'ilta 38, adduced the discussion found in the Gemara, Baba Mezi'a 62a, in interpreting this verse in a similar manner. R. Shimon ben Ẓemaḥ Duran, Teshuvot Tashbaz, III, no. 37, declares that the verse "And he shall live by them" (Leviticus 18:5) constitutes yet another mizvah commanding the preservation of life. The Gemara, Yoma 85b, renders this passage as meaning, "And he shall live through [the commandments] but he shall not die by means of them," and accordingly interprets this verse as establishing the principle that mizvot are suspended in face of life-threatening dangers. The regulation mandating suspension of mizvot in face of danger, argues Tashbaz, must be understood as establishing a general obligation to preserve life whether or not violation of biblical law is necessary to accomplish that goal.

Hazon Ish, Gilyonot le-Hiddushei Rabbenu Hayyim ha-Levi, Hilkhot Yesodei ha-Torah 5:1, s.v. u-mi-kol makom, demonstrates the same principle on the basis of his analysis of the well-known controversy between R. Akiva and Ben Petura recorded by the Gemara, Bava Mezi'a 62a. The case involves two people who are stranded in a desert with but a single container of water. There is sufficient water to sustain one person until he reaches safety; however, if the water is shared, neither will survive. Ben Petura declares that they should share the water and "let not one witness the death of his fellow." R. Akiva rules that the owner of the water should drink it himself in order to save his own life. In support of that ruling R. Akiva cites the verse, "that your brother may live with you" (Leviticus 25:36). That biblical command requires that a person enable his brother to live with him but not that he prefer his brother over himself. If so, the life of another person should not be preferred over one's own life with the result, as announced by R. Akiva, that "your life takes precedence."