Jewish Bioethics

Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide: Some Biblical and Rabbinic Sources

The Torah prohibits murder, and the Talmud maintains the prohibition on active killing, even with the terminally ill.

Some Modern Views on Euthanasia

Contemporary Jewish thinkers have expressed a wide range of opinions about the permissibility and parameters of euthanasia.

Jewish Resurrection and Organ Donation

The misguided belief that one needs all body parts intact to be resurrected may contribute to the poor rate of organ donation--even for Jews with otherwise untraditional beliefs.

Living Persons and Organ Donation

Sometimes there is a conflict between the mandate to save lives and the mandate to avoid health risks.

Jewish Views on Organ Donation

Jewish views on organ donation are overridden by a single halakhic (legal) concept: pikuach nefesh—the Jewish obligation to save lives.

Jewish Views on Stem Cell Research

The stem cells most likely to be of scientific value come from discarded embryos. Is it ethical to use these?

Ultra-Orthodoxy and Organ Donation

After learning the results of an experiment involving a decapitated sheep, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach decided to permit organ donations.

Jewish Genes and Anti-Semitism

Some worry that the discovery of "Jewish" genetic diseases will negatively affect the image and treatment of Jews.

Jewish Views on Partial Birth Abortion

Most (but not all) rabbinic authorities consider "partial birth abortion" on the same terms as other abortions.

The Soul of a Fetus

In Judaism, the question of when "ensoulment" takes place is both unanswerable and irrelevant to the issue of abortion.