Analyse the significance of Jewish Ethical Teachings with reference to bioethics Ethics refer to the explicit, philosophical and/or religious reflection on the moral beliefs and practices to clarify what is right and wrong and what human beings should freely do and refrain from doing. Thus, Jewish ethical teachings are the ethical traditions which justify the actions and morality of the Jewish adherents and the Jewish tradition.
For example, derived from the Mishnah Torah it states that one must not entertain the idea that there is any god but the Eternal as they believe that there is only one God and he is eternal, therefore it is considered unethical to entertain thoughts that say otherwise. There are various ethical teachings such as; all life has intrinsic value, preservation of human life, all life belongs to God, sanctity of life, Bsitakit, Tikum Olam, Gemitt Hasidim. , and Piku nefesh.
Jewish ethical teachings are often at the forefront of other decisions made by Jewish adherents such as those relating to bioethics. Bioethics is the study of ethical issues related to life and life science technologies, especially those relating to reproduction and the end of life for example, Stem cell research, IVF, Euthanasia, Organ donation and cloning. Ethical teachings are seen to have particular importance in influencing adherants in the area of bioethics.
The two different ethical concepts often go hand-in-hand. For example derived from the Mishnah Torah it states all human life has intrinsic value, this is then reflected in the lives of the adherents and the tradition through – for example- their views on Euthanasia which is in the words of Lord Immanuel Jakovotis the late chief Rabbi of England: “…the act of putting to death painlessly a person suffering from an incurable and painful disease or condition which is plain murder”.
The Jewish ethical code is based on the Torah and is a type of ethical monotheism. The Torah contains 613 Mitzvot that are binding upon Jews. Judaism offers both ethics to live by and the ritual by which to pass those ethics on, the Torah gives no indication which is the most important thus showing the equal significance the Torah has on the adherants of present and the future tradition. The standard of behavior expressed in the Mitzvot comes from God who is the creator of man kind.
