As society’s attitudes change and conversations about end-of-life choices intensify, Jewish law brings a clear yet nuanced approach.

On the one hand, we recognize the terrible agony—both physical discomfort and emotional distress—that may drive a person to feel their time has come. At the same time, we are acutely aware that life is not ours, that every moment on earth has purpose, and that we do not always have the full picture.

As a rule, halachah firmly prohibits assisted suicide. Life is a divine trust of infinite value, something no person has the right to give up or take away. At the same time, there are very specific situations when we allow a person to die naturally without artificially prolonging their suffering.

Here is how Jewish law balances the sanctity of life and the dignity of end-of-life care.

The Supreme Value of Life

Judaism places the highest value on human life. The Talmud teaches that Adam was created alone—the only human in the entire universe—to convey a powerful message: destroying a single life is considered the destruction of an entire world, and saving one life is equivalent to saving an entire world.1 Because of this, one may not kill another person, even to save one’s own life, regardless of the other person’s condition. That includes someone who is comatose, cognitively impaired, physically disabled or terminally ill.2

This commitment to preserving life is so important that nearly all commandments are set aside to save a life.3 We even violate Shabbat to preserve life.4 Commentaries add that someone who refuses to desecrate Shabbat to save their own life is considered culpable for their own death, for which they will be held accountable.5

And this applies even when life can be extended only briefly. Every moment of life has infinite value.6

Whose Life Is It?

The reason why Judaism is so firm on not taking life is that it is not personal property someone can forfeit at will. Rather, we are G‑d’s trustees, responsible for guarding the life entrusted to us.7

We believe that every breath has purpose, beyond what we can fathom. As long as G‑d has decided that we are here on earth, it is because we have a mission to accomplish. G‑d is beyond our understanding, and we may not know what our mission is—but we can be sure that it’s there.

And once that mission is complete, G‑d alone decides to bring our souls back to Him, at the time He deems right.

That is why the prohibitions against murder and suicide share the same foundation: no one, neither another person nor the individual himself, may destroy a divinely granted life.8

This applies even to what we may deem a life of “poor quality.”

Life is not a means to an end; it is intrinsically sacred, whose worth is not based on productivity, comfort, or an expected outcome. There is no objective measurement by which the value of a human life can be calculated.9

This principle is rooted in the Torah’s teaching that man is created in the image of G‑d.10 Just as it is impossible to fathom or quantify G‑d, neither can we begin to appreciate the full objective value of any human life.

It follows that assisted suicide is akin to murder. So neither doctors nor anyone else is to do anything at all that will hasten a person’s demise.

At the same time, we recognize that not every life-prolonging treatment is appropriate. To understand this, let’s first step back and examine the role of doctors in Jewish tradition.

What Role Do Doctors Play?

Today, there are some who argue that the physician–patient relationship grants doctors special authority to take steps that would otherwise be illegal. In Judaism, however, the role of a doctor is to diagnose and heal—not to nay-say or to do the opposite of healing.

The Torah’s mandate for doctors is seen in the verse “v’rapo yerape”—“heal, he shall heal.”11 This double expression is understood by the Sages as a mandate to heal.12

Accordingly, any active involvement in helping another individual end their life falls outside the Torah’s mandate of healing and is outside of the doctor’s purview.

There are also many times when doctors provide an unrealistic, gloomy prognosis, presenting ending life as the only humane option. Experience has shown that many people have outlived these predictions and celebrated many happy milestones long after the medical establishment predicted their demise.

So don’t lose hope!

Suffering and Compassion

At the same time, alleviating pain and distress—even of animals—is itself a mitzvah.

A foundational precedent appears in the Talmud’s account of the final moments of Rabbi Judah the Prince. As he lay dying in great agony, his maidservant distracted those who were praying for him to live, and he died shortly thereafter.13 Importantly, she did not perform any act that caused his death; she merely removed an impediment that was artificially prolonging the dying process.

From this episode, halachah draws a distinction between actively hastening death, which is always forbidden, and removing an obstacle that merely delays an otherwise imminent natural death, which may be permitted only in specific and narrowly defined circumstances.

The Rama, in the Code of Jewish Law, articulates this distinction: “If there is something that delays the soul’s departure … one may remove it. But one may not do anything that hastens death.”14

Practical Implications—With Extreme Caution

This framework guides contemporary halachic rulings, but its application is complex and highly case-specific.15

Pain management, including the use of strong narcotics or palliative sedation, is permitted even if it may indirectly and inadvertently shorten life, provided the sole intent is to relieve suffering and not to hasten death. Even here, careful medical judgment and halachic guidance are required.

Life support and ventilators may not be actively shut off to cause death. In limited cases involving a terminal patient, it may be permissible not to initiate extraordinary or non-curative interventions that only prolong the dying process—but this determination depends on many variables and cannot be made in the abstract.

Qualified rabbis who are consulted on these matters are steeped in halachah and trained to determine exactly when to apply the Torah’s requirement to save life at all costs and when to recognize that we’ve done our part.

Nutrition and hydration, including feeding tubes, are generally viewed as basic care rather than extraordinary treatment and therefore may not be withdrawn in most situations.

Standard DNR orders are often too broad, instructing that life be ended more liberally than acceptable by Jewish standards, and should not be signed without careful consultation with a rabbi.

The Infinite Value of Even Brief Life

Watching a loved one suffer is agonizing. It sometimes appears as if there is no joy on the horizon. And it is precisely then that we place our faith in G‑d and trust that He has a plan, our lives have infinite purpose, and that all is truly for the best.

Families and individuals facing issues related to end of life are encouraged to reach out to their family rabbi and/or the Chayim Aruchim organization.