‘There is a Time to be Born and a Time to Die’ (Ecclesiastes 3:2a): Jewish Perspectives on Euthanasia

Reviewing the publications of prominent American rabbis who have (extensively) published on Jewish biomedical ethics, this article highlights Orthodox, Conservative and Reform opinions on a most pressing contemporary bioethical issue: euthanasia. Reviewing their opinions against the background of the halachic character of Jewish (biomedical) ethics, this article shows how from one traditional Jewish textual source diverse, even contradictory, opinions emerge through different interpretations. In this way, in the Jewish debate on euthanasia the specific methodology of Jewish (bio)ethical reasoning comes forward as well as a diversity of opinion within Judaism and its branches

L'Écriture et la Tradition dans le Judaïsme : l'exemple de la Mishna

Scripture and Tradition in Judaism The principal problem is to define what we mean by tradition in the context of the history of Judaism. Since Judaism maintains that the revelation of Sinai is dual, written and oral, it is the oral Torah which must be deemed tradition. The relationship of the oral Torah to the written Torah — the Pentateuch — is to be examined, to begin with, in the diverse ways in which the Mishnah, the first document of the Oral Torah, draws upon and relates to Scripture. This relationship is so diverse, depending on the six divisions and sixty-three individual tractates of the Mishnah, that the real question becomes, What statement does the Mishnah make about Scripture ? The principle of selection has then to be discerned and stated.Le problème principal est de définir ce que nous voulons dire par le mot tradition dans le contexte de l'histoire du judaïsme. Puisque le judaïsme soutient que la révélation du Sinaï est double, écrite et orale, c'est la Τorah orale qui doit être considérée comme la tradition. La relation entre la Τorah orale et la Τorah écrite — le Pentateuque — doit être examinée, pour commencer, dans les diverses manières dont la Mishnah, premier document de la Τorah orale, se nourrit de l'Ecriture et se situe par rapport à elle. Ce rapport est si varié, d'après les six divisions et soixante-trois traités de la Mishnah, que la vraie question devient celle-ci : quelle est l'affirmation de la Mishnah à propos de l'Ecriture ? Il faut alors repérer et énoncer le principe de sélection.Neusner Jacob, Trocmé J.-P. L'Écriture et la Tradition dans le Judaïsme : l'exemple de la Mishna. In: Revue d'histoire et de philosophie religieuses, 61e année n°1, Janvier-mars 1981. pp. 3-22

The encyclopaedia of Judaism

"The Encyclopaedia of Judaism" provides a full and reliable account of Judaism, beginning in ancient Israelite times and extending to our own day. About Judaism, the religion, its diverse history, literature, beliefs past and present, observances and practices, and place in the context of society and culture, this is what we know. All principal topics required for the systematic description of Judaism as a religion the world view, way of life, theory of the social entity constituted by the faithful are addressed here. "The Encyclopaedia of Judaism" provides a definitive account of contemporary Judaism and a reliable picture of a tradition of nearly four thousand years. A full and detailed index provides ready-reference for facts, and the systematic articles set forth highly readable accounts of the entire range of Judaic systems of belief and behavior put forth over time and in our own time. It is written for people from all backgrounds, scholars and general readers alike. When the editors completed the initial three volumes of "The Encyclopaedia of Judaism," they found satisfaction in having covered the more than one hundred topics. But they also realized that many other important topics remained to be set forth in a systematic way. This led to new inquiries into the history, practices, and theology of the religion, Judaism. Specialists in all these fields were found and the result is more than ninety new studies, which will appear in three Supplements. Supplement One is published in 2002, and Supplement Three is anticipated for 2004. Published by Brill, Leiden & Continuum, New York