Is Mercy Killing Forbidden?
The Obligation to protect human life
The prohibition of murder and injury
Suffering of a person can sometimes appear as unbearable to the person and his surroundings. If healing is possible, one should always help and assist one's neighbor by all means possible to bridge this difficult period in his life until better times.
Life is the greatest gift a human being has been given and should be guarded as best as possible.
However should a person's suffering be so great, and healing impossible there is no commandment to lengthen one’s life if he can only live a short time and with suffering, since his life cannot be saved. If he does not want to be saved- when this is his expressed wish, is not an obligation to save him, even if it is possible.
Mercy killing is forbidden, even if the patient is suffering and wants his life to be terminated. Even if it is clear that the person will net emerge alive from his current sickness, it is forbidden to kill him.
Help the sick, relieve their suffering and give see love and comfort.
Brought By Angelique Sijbolts
Angelique Sijbolts is one of the main writers for the Noahide Academy. She has been an observant Noahide for many years. She studies Torah with Rabbi Perets every week. Angelique invests much of her time in editing video-lectures for the Rabbis of the Academy and contributes in administrating the Academy's website in English and Dutch. She lives in the north of the Netherlands. Married and mother of two sons. She works as a teacher in a school with students with special needs. And is a Hebrew Teacher for the levels beginners and intermediate. She likes to walk, to read and play the piano.
Sources
The Divine Code
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