Introduction To Jewish Law about SUicide

Jewish jurisprudence differentiates between biblical commandments, which are those deemed to have been directly transmitted by the Creator to Moses, and non-biblical rules.8 Interestingly, Jewish law does not recognize the literal meaning of a verse in the bible, the Torah, as an authoritative statement of law. Indeed, some verses, taken literally, are incomprehensible.9 Instead, Jewish law maintains that an oral tradition transmitted to Moses both amplified and interpreted the written Torah.10 This oral tradition not …

…the existence of such pain could Rabbi Feinstein explain why the Rema would permit the removal of obstacles to a goses' death. According to Rabbi Feinstein, if there were no such special pain, the general commandment to preserve a person's life would obligate a person to place obstacles in the path of a goses' death. The absence of any Talmudic source stating that a goses feels metaphysical pain is, however, problematic for Rabbi Feinstein's position.