Judaism_and_Ethics

Assessment Task – Judaism and ethics How do the ethical teachings of Judaism contribute to an understanding of the religious tradition of Judaism as a whole' Judaism is a lot more than what many think in terms of it being a religion; it is a way of life. There is a correct Jewish way for everything in all aspects of life and the Hebrew people believe there is a proper attitude and response to every ethical and moral issue. Ethics are concerned with human values and behaviour. Jewish ethics therefore define Jewish behaviour. The Jewish law, also known as the Halakah is the main source that Jews can refer to for their morals and ethics. Since biblical times, it has attempted to raise the moral conscience of the Hebrew people. Through advances in technology and the such, especially advances in medical technology, we now have the means to tamper and change life, but to what extent is the question. Judaism is a life-affirming and oriented religion which believes each life is of precious value, bioethics are of major importance in the Jewish faith. The teachings remain the same even if the medical technology available increases. An ethical issue, more specifically a bioethical issue that is raised in Judaic teachings is abortion. Jews obtain their moral values from the Halakah, and the entirety of the moral law is described as the Torah, which is very similar to Islam and Christianity. From both the written and oral Torah there are four golden rules to bioethics which are; do not kill; each individual life is of infinite value and no one is more valuable then another; a person's life belongs to God; there is a duty on all to save life and heal the sick. The basic teaching in Judaism when referring to Abortion is that the mother's physical and mental health always takes precedence over the foetus. An unborn child is said to have the status of “potential human life” until most of the body has emerged from the mother. This life is valuable and may not be terminated socially or if it is demanded, yet it does not have as much value as a life that is already in existence. The Halakah refers to this "...a baby...becomes a full-fledged human being when the head emerges from the womb. Before then, the foetus is considered a 'partial life.' ". This defines when a foetus becomes a person or a 'nefesh'. Mental condition is also taken into account, that is the mental distress of the mother due to different situations. The Mishnah tells us that at any time during the pregnancy period up until the emergence of the babies head, the foetus may be aborted if it puts the mothers life at risk, this includes mental stability as it may lead to suicide: “If a woman has (life-threatening) difficulty in childbirth, one dismembers the embryo within her, limb by limb, because her life takes precedence over its life. However, once its head (or its 'greater part') has emerged, it may not be touched, for we do not set aside one life for another” Ohalot 7:6. This mental health of the mother is important in situations such as rape or incest. Abortion in these cases would only be allowed if the continuation of the pregnancy would cause the mother distress to a degree that would endanger her well-being or health. However almost all rabbis would agree that unless the mother would not be near a state of suicide contemplation then lesser levels of mental distress are unlikely to be a justification for abortion, varying ofcourse from denomination to denomination. Reformed Judaism may be less strict of the prohibitions of abortion and contraception than Orthodox or Conservative Jews. A similar Judaic teaching applies for the bioethical issue of Euthanasia. Judaism nd it's teachings has the belief in the sanctity of life, that it must be preserved and taken great care of and forbids doing anything that might shorten life. We in no way have any right to tamper with life except for the preventing of destruction or loss. Euthanasia is seen in two ways; passive – withdrawal of medical treatment with the deliberate intention of causing the person's death and active – taking specific steps to cause the patients death. Judaism and its teachings are against active euthanasia as they consider it murder and murder is forbidden no matter what. One must not administer a lethal dose to a person that is dying to prevent their suffering. Passive euthanasia, where nature is taking its course, is permitted when the death is inevitable. Prolonging the death need not be performed and even withdrawal of treatment, if that treatment is not going to cure the dying patient is allowed. The Talmud states that just because a person may be dying does not mean they have discontinued living, until their dying day:"One who is in a dying condition is regarded as a living person in all respects” Semahot 1:1. Judaism teaches that murder is sinful and that life should be taken great care of, as each person has been made in the image of God. Euthanasia is often seen as a form of murder, therefore Judaism is against it, however, in the case that a patient is living off of a machine to keep them alive, “passive euthanasia” is permissible; otherwise each life must be preserved until their dying day comes. With both of these bioethical issues and aspects taken into consideration, it is evident that the ethical teachings of Judaism have firm basis in key texts such as the Torah, the Mishnah and also from the Halakah. As the study of the key teachings and texts of Judaism lead to the expansion of ethical teachings due to advancing technology and other factors, the study and practice of these ethical teachings contribute to a diverse understanding of the cultural and religious way of life of the Hebrew people and Judaism.