You shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the Lord. (Vayikra 18:5)

Chazal tell us that our obligation to stay alive supersedes almost all the other mitzvos, except for the three cardinal sins. What if someone feels he would like to express his devotion and give up his life al kiddush Hashem in a situation for which it is not warranted? According to the simple understanding of this verse, this action would be considered as if he committed suicide and the person would be accountable in Heaven for killing himself. What this means is that though a person may have a lofty-sounding religious zeal, to express it when it is not commanded is out of place.

I am often approached by people who inquire if it is appropriate to accept upon themselves a new chumra. The answer to that question is that it depends upon other aspects of where they are holding in their service of Hashem. For example, someone approached me during Chol Hamoed Pesach regarding a known custom to say “Oz yashir” at chatzos on the seventh day of Pesasch. There are many people who go out of their way to follow this custom. It is really a wonderful custom – not that it needs my approval. However, the Mishneh Berureh notes one who says “Oz Yashir” in the proper way every day, also benefits from a segula effect. Which one do you think has priority? Obviously to say it every day properly is by far more important, and one should work on that first. Not only that, but it is a bit absurd for a person who regularly comes late to synagogue and in order to daven with the tzibbur skips “Oz Yashir”, to then make a special effort to say it at chatzos on the seventh day of Pesach (though I admit that it is better than nothing).

The story is told of the young Rabbi Yehoshua Leib Diskin and his father Reb Binyamin Diskin, who was a world famous posek. Reb Yehoshua Leib wanted to be stringent on something of which it says in Shulchan Aruch that a “baal nefesh” should be stringent in his observance. Reb Binyamin told him words to the effect of “you don’t fit the bill,” which displeased Reb Yehoshua Leib. Sometime after this, there was a fire in the town and unfortunately some of the sifrei torah were burned. The Gabboim arranged to meet with Reb Binyomin so he could decide what they should do with the charred sifrei Torah. When Reb Yehoshua Leib saw the gabboim waiting in the anteroom, he looked at the sifrei Torah and wondered how his father would rule. When Reb Binyamin was ready, the gabbaim brought the sifrei Torah into his office, and as soon as he saw the charred scrolls he fainted on the spot. The teenage Reb Yehoshua Leib commented, “Now I see that I am not quite ready for the stringencies of a ‘baal nefesh’!”

The Beis Yosef in Yoreh Deah (157) tells us that if a person is a great tzaddik or chosid and he gives up his life specifically so that others will have a greater connection to Hashem, then it is permitted. However, without fulfilling this condition (that a lesson will be learned by others), one would not be permitted to give up his life, even with the intent of making a Kiddush Hashem.

In summation I would like to point out that the true simple meaning of living a life of kiddush Hashem refers to a person who is “chai bahem”, whose life in its totality represents a sefer Torah.