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ויקרא י״ח

וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֤ם אֶת־חֻקֹּתַי֙ וְאֶת־מִשְׁפָּטַ֔י אֲשֶׁ֨ר יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה אֹתָ֛ם הָאָדָ֖ם וָחַ֣י בָּהֶ֑ם אֲנִ֖י יְהֹוָֽה׃     

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Leviticus 18:5

You shall keep My laws and My rules, that a person will do and live by them, I am GOD.

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    תלמוד בבלי מסכת יומא ​

וְכוּלְּהוּ אַשְׁכְּחַן וַדַּאי, סָפֵק מְנָא לַן? וְדִשְׁמוּאֵל, וַדַּאי לֵית לֵיהּ פִּירְכָא. אָמַר רָבִינָא וְאִיתֵּימָא רַב נַחְמָן בַּר יִצְחָק: טָבָא חֲדָא פִּלְפַּלְתָּא חֲרִיפָא מִמְּלָא צַנָּא דְקָרֵי.

 

Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Yoma 85b

We have found proofs for saving a life from certain danger. But for cases of uncertainty, from where do we derive this? From Shmuel, who brought proof from the verse: “And live by them,” which teaches that one should not even put a life in possible danger to observe rituals.

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Ravina said, and some say it was Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak who said with regard to this superior proof of Shmuel: One spicy pepper is better than a whole basket of squash.