Self-sacrifice is required in Jewish law for rare yet specifically defined circumstances, in which a Jew is expected to sacrifice their own life rather than violate a religious prohibition. The core principle of self-sacrifice, yehareg ve'al ya'avor ("let him be killed rather than transgress"), is enunciated in a Talmudic sugya (pericope) at Sanhedrin 74a-b and thereafter typically discussed in terms of three cardinal or exceptional prohibitions. One of these prohibitions is that no life should be taken, including one's own. Many more ritual prohibitions exist as well, which means that under limited circumstances a Jew has to self-sacrifice when the greater good calls for breaking a more minor dictate.[clarification needed] This practice reflects the practical and perhaps malleable nature of Judaic law.