MARK N. STAITMAN
absolute.” Life was created by God , but given to humanity. Physical life serves as the earthly medium for the relationship between God and the individual. This relationship manifests itself in the covenant between God and humanity. For the Jewish people, this covenant is expressed through the performance of mirzvot. It is not that life serves as a condition of the fulfillment of other purposes, but rather, that life finds its meaning in the expression of the covenant with God . Life is meaningful when it is in relationship. For that relationship to be one of freedom, the sovereignty must be humanity’s. God must"give up control”(kivyakhol). Ultimately then, determination of when human beings can cause an end to life must be determined by human beings, but within the context of the covenant. Capital punishment, killing in war, killing in self defense and the like, are all examples of taking life in the context of the covenant. Those whose behavior is such that it threatens the continuation of the covenantal relationship with God , or whose behavior is such that it precludes others from performing mitzvot are at risk of losing their lives because of the freedom and sovereignty of humanity. The categories of"direct""innocent""ordinary" and "extraordinary" have no theological basis in Judaism . So too"quality of life," a category rooted in relativist theology.
Traditional Judaism believes that God "owns" the individual. One’s life is the possession of God , and thus, even though humanity has the freedom to act in the world. that freedom is limited by the conditions of the covenant, i.e. the mirzvor. While God has given humanity freedom, it is a freedom limited by the structure of the mirzvot. Liberal Judaism has rejected the idea that God "owns" the individual. It sees the autonomy of the individual freely limited by the individual in order to be in relationship. The individual Jew must then take full responsibility for moral choice, and one then has complete control over her or his body.*