END-STAGE EUTHANASIA

responsibilities.” This and a good deal more indicates that the quality of life played a positive role in Judaism , and that a high quality of life was considered a noble goal even if it was not possible in many periods of our history.

Poverty, ill health and persecution were seen as punishment for sins by some theologians, but this rarely led to a feeling that the opposite, the good life was sinful; nor was asceticism and self­depravation seen as the road to"salvation" either for the individual or for the entire community.

The road to the good life included physical health along with all the other blessings. Appropriate words of gratitude are therefore expressed to God for maintaining physical health and all bodily functions in the regular daily morning service. Special thanks are to be given on arising. Prayers of gratitude after recovery from illness are part of the liturgy and of private prayer. There are Biblical verses which point to God as the sole healer and later rabbinic literature occasionally took that position as pointed our earlier. However, the dominant note was, and remains, that everything which can be done to enhance health or to heal the sick should be undertaken. In addition, all that could be done to alleviate pain and suffering was undertaken with few restrictions.

A HUMANE DEATH

Tradition has sought to provide a decent and humane death whenever it was within our hands to do so. For example, when the Talmud dealt with the execution of criminals, it was to be done in a humane manner without mental or physical suffering. Death should be quick. Anything which might lead to psychological suffering was avoided. Everything was done to assure that the execution could be stopped if new evidence arose, but otherwise the sentence was carried out speedily.”