Jewish tradition teaches that Jewish ritual practices should not endanger life, health, and safety.

Here are texts from the Torah and Talmud.​​​

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ויקרא י״ח

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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​

אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: אִי הֲוַאי הָתָם, הֲוָה אָמֵינָא דִּידִי עֲדִיפָא מִדִּידְהוּ: ״וְחַי בָּהֶם״  וְלֹא שֶׁיָּמוּת בָּהֶם

Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Yoma 85b

Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: If I would have been there among those Sages who debated this question, I would have said that my proof is preferable to theirs, as it states: “Live by them [Jewish practices]”. One should not die by them. 

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.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

 

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And for all the other arguments as well, we have found proofs for [interrupting or observing Jewish ritual practices in a different manner] to save a life from certain danger. But for cases of uncertainty, from where do we derive this? For this reason, all the other arguments are refuted. However, the proof that Shmuel brought from the verse: “And live by them,” which teaches that one should not even put a life in possible danger for Jewish ritual practices, there is certainly no refutation.

 

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, since its flavor is more powerful than all the others.