Jewish Bioethics
The Status of a Fetus
In Jewish law, an unborn fetus is not considered a person. Rather, the fetus is regarded as a part of the mother’s body and not a separate being until it begins to exit the womb during childbirth.
Read moreTexts and Traditions
Bioethics 101
The intersection of Jewish law, Jewish ethics, and general ethical principles.
Beginning of Life
According to Jewish law, human life begins when the child's head emerges from the womb.
Defining Death in Jewish Law
Traditional sources point to the cessation of breathing as the moment of death.
Euthanasia
The Talmud maintains the prohibition on active killing, even with the terminally ill.
Artificial Insemination
Four texts dealing with non-traditional forms of insemination.
Modern Insights
Fertility Technology
Jewish authorities do not object to fertility technology, but they have some caveats.
Modern Views on Euthanasia
Contemporary Jewish thinkers have expressed a wide range of opinions on this issue.
Gene Therapy and Genetic Engineering
Many issues related to these topics have yet to be addressed in Judaism.
Organ Donation
In light of the Jewish obligation to save lives.
Surrogacy
Rabbis raise (and in some cases, answer) moral questions about surrogacy.
Controversies
The Right to Die
Jewish thinkers balance the desires to preserve life and alleviate suffering.
The Morning After Pill
A Jewish perspective.
The Cloning Debate in Judaism
Jewish ethicists approve of therapeutic cloning, but have trouble with reproductive cloning.
In Vitro Fertilization
Test-tube conception might be okay, but where should unneeded genetic material go?
Misgivings and Misconceptions
The Jewish community has a poor track record when it comes to organ donations.
Books
Biomedical Ethics and Jewish Law
By Fred Rosner
Matters of Life and Death: A Jewish Approach
By Elliot N. Dorff
Alternatives in Jewish Bioethics
By Noam Zohar
Medicine and Jewish Law
By Fred Rosner
Health and Medicine in the Jewish Tradition
By David Feldman