The Sages disagreed with regard to how one should conduct himself in a situation in which only one person can be saved. How should the individual weigh the possibilities of saving one or both of them?

The verse states: “And your brother shall live with you” (Leviticus 25:36). This is what ben Petori expounded: There is the case of two individuals who were walking in the wilderness and one of them has only one jug of water. If one of them drinks it, he, but not his fellow, will reach a settled area, but if the two of them share it and drink it, both of them will [likely] die without reaching a settled area. Ben Petori expounded: “And your brother shall live with you,” and they must share the water. Rabbi Akiva said to him that the verse states: “And your brother shall live with you,” indicating that your life takes precedence over the life of your fellow [and the one with the jug shall drink all the water so that at least he will definitely survive]. (Sifra, Behar 5)