[Avodah] assisted suicide

[Rich, Joel]

	>>>>>
	A talmid chacham of my acquaintance told me (when I asked) that
the people who jumped out of the World Trade Center rather than be
burned to death were not committing suicide or doing anything wrong --
that at the point of death, if you have a choice, you're allowed to
choose.  Say a killer gave his victim a choice of death by gun or by bow
and arrow -- the victim would be allowed to choose. It may be that
Shimshon was that close to death and chose to die in a way that would
bring down the Plishtim with him. 
	========================================
	ME-Interesting but where do we see this brought down lhalacha?
and how is the point of death defined (as actuaries say - we're all
terminal, it's just a question of when?
	=========================================== 
	 
	In the case of a person suffering from a terminal illness, the
person who opts for suicide is not just choosing one of two alternative
deaths, he is actually hastening his death.   
	================================================= 
	Me- Yet we know in certain circumstances one can pray for one or
another's death - why isn't this called hastening?
	===============================================
	Anyway, bottom line, there is a huge difference between a person
saying,  "Please release me from my suffering, take my soul now" to a
physician -- and saying that same thing to his Creator. 
	=================================
	Me- why?In fact couldn't one argue that the prayer to the
creator is more effective and thus more of a life shortner?
	KT
	Joel Rich
	============================= 

	
	--Toby Katz
	=============
	



	
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