Judaism- Sanctity Of Life Flashcards
Sanctity of life
Belif human life is holy and especially worthy o fprotection
Heart of jewish ethics and rabbanical tradition
Consideration which has power tooverride other mitzvot
Foundation of sanctity of life
Genesis- clear humans diff frm g-d’s other living creatures because in ‘g-d’s image’ 1:27
Not look like g-d
Gave humans certain characteristics- free will- little like him
10 commandmendments- exodus 20:12- ‘thou shalt not murder’
Torah prohibits taking of innocent life and acts that could lead to someones death- neglectfulness
Leviticus- inc spreading slander which woul dcause someone to be killed 19:16- ‘shalt not go up’ ‘as a talebearer among thy people’ ‘neither shalt thou stand idly by the blood of thy nieghbor’ ‘do not do anything that endangers your neighbors life’
Pikuach nefesh
Talmud sanhedrin 37a- ‘whoever destroys a soul, it is considered as if he destoryed an entrie world’ ‘whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved the entire world’
Can override all mitzvot eg. Estinguishing fire on shabbat to stop house burning down or eating terefah (non kosher) food to save yourself from starvation
Issues with pikuach nefesh
Not always clear what counts as life-threatening situations0 but should err on side of caution- if worng- =not committed a sin
-pn refers to immediate emergencies not long-term difficulties- eg. Not permitted that orthodox jew work on shabbat as extremely poor situation0- should appeal to jewish community for help
-some mitzvot never be broken- commit murder tosave life (although permitted to kill an agressor)
Idolatry and balsephmy never justified- jews prepared to die rather than commit these sins
-medicinw
Medicine and pn
-treating life threatening conditions on shavvar- orthodox doctors or nurses- but not to use electronic divices such as mobile phones as forbideen
-removal of organs- normally forbidden as desecration - interefere with corpse- allowed as long as the reciepient of organ donation immeidately identified
Death penalty- belief with pn
Torah features death penalty
For ethical and historical reasons rejected
Historical- under rule of other people so couldnt legally execute others
Who believes against death penalty
Many opposed to caoutal punishment eg. State of israel no executions aort from adolf eichman- 1961-architecht of holohcaust- found guilty on israeli court
Why is death penalty an issue
Being against questions legitimacy of tactics used byby ids in palestinain territory- violate soverienty of life
Insuffiencient care to=aken to preven tcivilian death
Autopsy and pn
Not allowed- due to physical resureection
Orthod
But reform jews believe in spiritual resurrection- so acceot if knowlege gained may save a life in future
Abortion an pn
-rabbanic tradution- foetus considered living being after 40 days of conception (or 90 for female_
- soe experiments on early embryo and fertility treatments that destory dont present ethic problem for humans
-reform- focus not part of human socity so no can be sperating form that of mother- can be terminated
-orthodox believe abortion after 40 days is ethical prblem unless unborn child threatenb life of mother
Brian dead/ethanasia
-nervous systen temporarily keeps bbody alive, but cerebellum depirved of o2 so no longer functions- unclear whether sol applies
Reform- more compassionate to ethanise
Orthodox0 uncertaintty on state of brain mean should assume alive- not euthanise
Orthodox beliefs on sol for animals
Anumals not equal to humans- not in torah
Biut if shwon some animals are senient- may appear in image of god- may be moraly oblige to give rights if sentient being
-humans holy as g-d believed as such
Reform beliefs of animals in sol
Animals have feactures of human life- sentient and conscious
Sol does apply to animals
