Notes
Sanhedrin 23a; Yoma 85b; Shabbat 132b; Alfasi, Shabbat , ch 5, p. 139b. Yad, Hil. Avel 4.5; Tur and Shulhan Arukh, Yoreh Deah 339.
3. The chief case against active euthanasia was taken from the fate of Haninah ben Teradion,(second century)(b. A. Z. 18a) who was burned at the stake, wrapped in a Torah , by the Romans for his rebellious act of teaching Torah . His disciples wished to ease the process and asked him to open his mouth, so that he would die more quickly, but he refused. They advocated suicide; he refused. On the other hand, when the pagan executioner asked whether he could increase the temperature of the fire and remove sponges, which kept him alive, he agreed. Active help toward death by an outside party was therefore possible with the agreement of the dying party. The executioner acted and when the rabbi had died, jumped into the fire himself. Haninah ben Teradion was unwilling to take steps himself, in other words, to commit suicide, but was willing to permit someone else to hasten the process of death. This path was, however, not discussed further.
4. An elderly woman(Yalkut Shemoni Vol. II,# 943) felt that her life had no further meaning and she asked R. Yose Hagalili, whether she could stop praying in the synagogue as she felt that this alone was keeping her alive. He agreed; she stopped her regular prayers and three days later died. There were no negative comments on her path of action.
5. Exodus 15.16; II Chronicles 16.12f; Jeremiah 8.22; Job 13.4.
6. Exodus 21,18f.
7. Leviticus 13, 14; I K 5.1; Ben Sirach 38.1ff and Tobit 2.10.
9. M. Kid 4.14: b. B. K. 46b, 85a; Julius Preuss , Biblical and Talmudic Medicine(T. R. Fred Rosner ), New York , 1978, pp 11fT.
10. Some letters allude to this attitude, see Jacob Mann , Texts and Studies in Jewish History and Literature, Vol. 11- Karaitica, Philadelphia , 1935. Karaites were more stringent than rabbinic Jews in granting permission to violate the Sabbath for medical emergencies, but in desperate situations, it was permitted. Leon Nemoy , Karaite Anthology, New Haven , 1952, pp. 267 ff.
12. Lev 19.16; Deut 22.1; San 73a; b. A.Z. 28b; b. B. M. 85b; b. B. K. 81b; 85a; Yad Hil Deah 3.3; etc.
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