From where that any uncertainty of a danger to life pushes the Sabbath aside? Rebbi Abbahu in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: Only you shall keep My Sabbaths; a diminution. Some want to say, the Torah said, desecrate the Sabbath for him, so he will dwell and keep many Sabbaths. Rebbi Zeˋira, Rebbi Ḥiyya in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: If a wall collapsed in a dead-end street populated by Gentiles, but where one Jew lived, one digs there because of the Jew. How far? Two Amoraim. One said, up to his nose; the other said, up to his navel. He who said, up to his nose, about one who was healthy; he who said up to his navel, about one who was intoxicated. It was stated: (The one who decided is praiseworthy, one who is asked has to be ready,) [the one who is quick is praiseworthy, the one who is asked is blameworthy,] and the one who asks is a spiller of blood. It was stated: In any case of danger to life one does not say that the work be done by Gentiles or minors, but even by adult Jewish persons. “It happened that there was a fire in the courtyard of Yose ben Simai in Shihin, and the garrison of the barracks of Sepphoris came to fight it but he did not let them fight it; he said, let the collector collect his due. Immediately there formed a cloud which extinguished it. After the Sabbath he sent to each of them a tetradrachma and to their commander 50 denarii.” The Sages said, there was no need for him to do that. A Nabatean was a neighbor of Rebbi Jonah. There was a fire in Rebbi Jonah’s neighborhood; the Nabatean wanted to fight it but Rebbi Jonah did not let him. He said to him, because of my property! He said, yes. And everything was saved. Rebbi Jonah from Kefar-Immi spread his garment over the burning grain stack and the fire retreated from it.

The Gemara asks: And Rabbi Yoḥanan, what does he do with this verse: “And your brother shall live with you”? The Gemara answers: He requires the verse for that which is taught in a baraita: If two people were walking on a desolate path and there was a jug [kiton] of water in the possession of one of them, and the situation was such that if both drink from the jug, both will die, as there is not enough water, but if only one of them drinks, he will reach a settled area, there is a dispute as to the halakha. Ben Petora taught: It is preferable that both of them drink and die, and let neither one of them see the death of the other. This was the accepted opinion until Rabbi Akiva came and taught that the verse states: “And your brother shall live with you,” indicating that your life takes precedence over the life of the other.

Regarding the statement of the Rabbi (Rambam) of blessed memory, "Anyone who is able to rescue..." this refers to one who can be clearly rescued without the rescuer endangering himself in any way, such as one who is asleep under an unsteady wall who the would-be rescuer is able to wake him from his sleep but does not wake him, or one who knows of evidence to exonerate him (i.e., the other. E.g., from capital punishment and fails to come forward), he transgresses the prohibition of “Do not stand idly by the blood of your brother.” Not only in this case, but even if [in saving him] there is a potential small risk of danger, such as the case when he sees him drowning, or bandits attacking, or wild animals [threatening] – for there exists in all of these cases a risk of danger, he is still obligated to rescue, and even if he cannot do it himself, he is not exempt for this reason, but is obligated to use his own finances [to save the victim]...Nevertheless, if the potential risk inclines toward certainty, he is not obligated to sacrifice himself to save his fellow.