[Avodah] assisted suicide

[Shmuel Weidberg]

On Jan 25, 2008 2:07 PM, kennethgmiller at juno.com
<kennethgmiller at juno.com> wrote:
> To change the topic slightly, I would suggest that there is a middle level between a regular death (a clear maaseh) and merely praying for a death (which is not a maaseh at all). And that is the case of "removing an impediment". Rama YD 339:1 explains that this is not a maaseh at all, but (it seems to me) it does "force Hashem's hand" (as I wrote above in the firsst paragraph) and it bothers me very much that we should be allowed to do that. I concede that it may not meet the *technical* definition of a maaseh, but it sure *looks* like one, and it bothers me that we are "relying" on such technicalities to "allow" a person to die.

I don't think that you will find that it is MUTAR to remove an
impediment, only that you are POTUR if you do so.

Regards,
Shmuel