This Matter of Abortion

David M. Feldman

1986

Abortion is not murder, vociferous and repeated claims to the contrary notwithstanding. Abortion cannot be murder in Jewish law, because, as indicated above, murder is one of the three “cardinal” sins that require martyrdom. Rather than commit murder of the innocent, public idolatry or gross sexual immorality [adultery-incest], one has to surrender…

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From the Curator

Rabbi David M. Feldman was a noted authority on Jewish medical ethics who wrote extensively on the intersection of Jewish law (halakhah) and modern medical issues. This essay appears in Feldman’s book Health and Medicine in the Jewish Tradition, a work that explores Jewish ethical and legal perspectives on health-related issues, including abortion. Feldman’s argument elucidates Jewish perspectives around abortion, noting that in Jewish texts and tradition, a fetus is not considered a person until it is born, and thus the life of the pregnant mother should be prioritized and protected.

Discussion Questions

What is at stake in translation of specific words in the biblical commandments?
How are women perceived in Feldman’s discussion of Jewish perspectives on abortion?
The Talmud defines a fetus as a rodef, “an aggressor against its mother.” What do you think drove this perception of fetuses?

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This Matter of Abortion

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This Matter of Abortion

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David M. Feldman

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