[Avodah] Is there any issur here al pi halacha? - New York man pleads guilty to selling Israeli human organs

[Joseph Kaplan]

> The point you make is a good one; but I DO think it has to be the case: Lo
> Yechdal Evyon M'kerev Ha'aretz. Redistribution of wealth is not a Jewish
> concept; charity and mercy are. So while a person himself or herself is
> obligated to be merciful, I don't think society has to make rules that
> require him or her to be.
> But why should they not? ...

To be clear: i'm not asking that wealth should be redistributed; I'm
not advocating taking anything from the rich and giving it to the poor.
The rich have the right to keep their money; they don't have a right
to buy whatever they want with it -- whether it's someone's organs, or
heroin or bombs or stolen property. A Robin Hood system which tries to
make life fairer and more just may not work, but that doesn't mean that
EVERY attempt to make life fairer and more just doesn't work. From the
article RMYG cited on an earlier response, it just may be that the nuS
organ donation system is one that will work.

Joseph Kaplan