The following comes from an Aug. 31 email from a pro-life Jewish friend in Southern California.
I found this back in June 2014, and feel it provides a concise review of rabbinical opinions among Jews who follow the written and so-called Oral law (i.e. Orthodox, Hassidic, and Masorti/traditional). As I understand it, Conservative Jews follow the written law, but are selective in following the Oral law, and Reform Jews have reformed both. I am unsure of how to describe the practice and belief systems of Reconstructionist, Humanistic Judaism, Jewish Renewal et al, except to say that every Jew is still getting ready for Rosh Hashannah, no matter what his or her rabbi says about God’s existence.
This article may provide information should someone Jewish ask where rabbis have stood on the permissibility of abortion. I want to share with you that Rabbi Oshry has written an amazing book in which he details the exact ethical questions he was asked while imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp. I do not doubt that #5 comes from this. By looking at the few times that Jewish practice allows abortion, it becomes clear that the practice is in general forbidden.
Just as there are Jewish organizations to aid people who need help observing other aspects of Jewish law, so too are there Jewish organizations to aid people who need help in refraining from aborting a fetus. Unfortunately, so far the US has just one organization, so it’s probable that women (and men) may seek help from a Catholic organization.
I’m going to attach a copy of the article, the link I found to it, and a copy and paste from that link.
Published: June 19th, 201
Question: Does halacha agree with the Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade permitting women to have abortions?
Answer: In Roe v. Wade (1973), the Supreme Court ruled that women have the right to terminate an embryo or fetus in them during the first trimester of pregnancy. It further ruled that women are under no requirement to provide a compelling medical (or non-medical) reason to abort.
Jewish law disagrees. Abortion on demand is simply prohibited. But what about special situations? Let us discuss some of them.
1. If a woman’s life is in jeopardy, we may terminate the life of the fetus to save the mother (Ohalot 7:6).
2. If there is something wrong with the fetus, some rabbis permit aborting; others do not. Rav Moshe Feinstein, for example, rules that it is forbidden, arguing that defective children have a right to live. Accordingly, he prohibits aborting a Tay-Sachs child. (See “Aborting A Jewish Fetus,” Kuntras L’Torah V’Hora’a, choveret 7, p.9, Elul 5737.)
Rabbi Eliezer Waldenberg (Responsa Tzitz Eliezer, vol.13:102), on the other hand, felt that the ramifications of giving birth to a Tay-Sachs child are so severe – the child has stunted physical and mental development and inevitably dies by age four or so – that aborting is permitted until the seventh month of pregnancy.
3. May a woman who was raped abort her pregnancy? Rav Benzion Uziel (Mishpatai Uziel, vol.III, Choshen Mishpat, 46) and Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook ruled that she may in order to protect herself from shame and humiliation
4. May a mamzer fetus or one conceived out of wedlock be aborted? Rav Moshe Feinstein rules that it may not. Rav Uziel rules that it may be aborted to avoid shame. Rav Yaakov Emden (She’elat Yavitz 1:43) rules that one may abort a mamzer fetus (one conceived through adultery) but not a fetus conceived out of wedlock since no halachic stigma will be attached to such a fetus should it be born.
5. In Nazi concentration camps, pregnant women were often automatically killed. Were such women permitted to abort their pregnancies? Rabbi Efraim Oshry ruled that they were.
6. May an abortion be performed to prevent a nervous breakdown or the development of mental problems in the mother? Those rabbis that deem shame to a mother as a reason to permit abortions are lenient in regards to mental problems as well. Those rabbis who prohibit abortions even in cases of shame would not consider the possibility of mental problems developing to be reason to abort….
To read more, click here.
“…. May a woman who was raped abort her pregnancy? Rav Benzion Uziel (Mishpatai Uziel, vol.III, Choshen Mishpat, 46) and Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook ruled that she may in order to protect herself from shame and humiliation…”
Why a woman may feel shame and humiliation?
Isn’t the man who should feel the shame ? Shouldn’t the man be humiliated and shamed by the society, for impregnating a woman through rape?
There really is no shame or humiliation in being raped.
Jenny you are right, the one who should be subject to shame and humiliation should be the rapist!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
May God have mercy on an amoral Amerika and His Church!
Viva Cristo Rey!
Kenneth M. Fisher
One rabbi says this. Another Rabbi says that in 500 C.E. One Rabbi says this. Another Rabbi says that in 1500 C.E. Thank God the Catholic Church has a coherent position on the sacredness of human life. And thank God for the magisterium of the Church that assures us that that position will persist through time.
Abortion is either right or wrong.
Murder is either right or wrong.
There is no in between….and everybody has a “but:…
I have never understood Jewish thinking, on the subject of abortion! They seem so “worldly,” in their thinking! But what might be God’s point of view? Does God have worries about human “shame,” when He creates a child? Does God worry at all, about the reactions of the mother and father? And YES, I agree– that in cases of rape, it is only the MAN who should feel shame! NOT the woman– that is backwards!! Why don’t Jewish rabbis and thinkers view a child as a GIFT of God, and that all children created by God– have a RIGHT TO LIVE, no matter how they are conceived?? The conception of a child is a BIG RESPONSIBILITY! ALWAYS!! We do NOT have the “right” to kill a child, for ANY reason! They belong to God!! From a Christian point of view— our religion started with an unusual pregnancy! Christ’s conception was miraculous, the Immaculate Conception!! He was conceived by the Holy Spirit– and Mary and Joseph were not yet married! Was this a “mistake?” Should they both feel “shame” and abort the Holy Child? Of course not!
I am so sorry– Christ’s birth was the Virgin Birth– and His Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary– was immaculately conceived, with no stain of sin on her soul! I have always loved her Feast of the Immaculate Conception, on Dec.8th! I goofed when I was writing the above post!
It seems that some rabbis and some Jewish people are more concerned about whether or not to turn on a light switch on the Sabbath than they are the right to life from conception. We Christians often do that too. I cannot help but think about what Our Lord said to the Scribes and Pharisees when he told them that they are more concerned about minor things in the Law and do not attend to the weightier matters, which are far more important. Dear Lord please let us all get our priorities straight and think more about what we are doing, so we do not cause the death of our children or anyone else’s.. Please let us find more and better ways to help children such precious little Nathan.
In the Jewish faith, life beings at birth, which explains why you don’t see many Jewish-Catholic partnerships in the pro-life area.