Jewish Medical Ethics

Modern medicine has brought us near miracles. It's also brought us some of the most difficult decisions we'll ever have to face. Are we obliged to prolong life even at the cost of terrible suffering? Should we legalize the sale of organs, such as kidneys, to save the lives of transplant patients? May a woman with a multiple-fetus pregnancy opt for fetal reduction, thus forfeiting the lives of some to possibly save others? When it seems that every available option is morally questionable, how do we decide?
Fortunately, Torah and the Talmud are not silent about such matters. And this course will show you what they have to say.
When it comes to the ethics of medicine, we’re going to discuss actual case studies, examining many possible viewpoints as we come to grips with the issue that matters most: What kind of action — or inaction — should we take?
This course is designed for students from diverse fields including medicine, bioethics, law, philosophy, and religious studies. It is ideal for those interested in exploring how religious frameworks, particularly Jewish ethics, interact with contemporary medical challenges.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course, students will:

• Discover the value of a perspective that considers the welfare of both body and soul, that balances lofty ideals with practical realities, and that offers much-needed clarity during times of pain and confusion
• Probe the values that are embedded within the principles of Jewish law that can shape character, attitude, and ethical sensibility, and guide one toward a life of meaning and serenity
• Observe how the Torah is a ‘Torat chayim’ - that its age-old principles serve as a solid and relevant guideline for modern-day life, and that modern Jewish ethics are not arbitrarily chosen by rabbis but predicated on authentic sources and principles
• Explore the halachic process used by contemporary rabbinic authorities to address novel situations that arise out of changing conditions and technological advances