Judaism & The Sanctity of Life (Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B): Revision Note

Why human life is holy for Jews

Why is life holy for Jews?

• Sanctity means holiness

  • Therefore sanctity of life is the belief that life is holy and sacred

• Jews believe in the sanctity of human life because they believe that all life is a God-given gift, therefore it is special and holy

• Only God created life, therefore only God can take life away

• This means that all life should be respected

  • Humans do not have the right to treat life as they wish

  • A person should never harm any living thing

• Since all life is important and holy, every human is of equal importance

• Belief in the sanctity of life affects a Jew’s attitude towards many issues, such as murder, abortion, and euthanasia

• Jews believe that humans were given free will and reason, so can choose their actions

• Therefore they have a responsibility to remember that all life is human in the way they act and the choices they make

Sanctity of life v quality of life

• Belief in the sanctity of life means that life should be preserved wherever possible. This is sometimes at odds with the belief in quality of life

  • Quality of life describes how good a person’s life is, and the standard of health or happiness of a person

  • It can also refer to whether life is worth living if a person has a medical condition

• Sometimes the issue of quality of life affects decisions which are made about whether someone lives or dies

• Abortion and euthanasia are two examples of when issues relating to quality of life are relevant

• When discussing issues relating to life and death, a religious person might focus on the sanctity of life whereas secular views might prioritise the quality of life

• Issues relating to quality of life occur when life is so bad that some might argue it is not worth living

• This leads some to question if the sanctity of life overrules quality of life in life and death issues

Interpretations of the value of life in the Tenakh

• The Tenakh contains many teachings that show Jews that life is precious and special

• The Torah teaches that all humans are made in God’s image, meaning in his likeness

  • This makes human life uniquely special among all of God’s creation - no other living creature was created this way

• Human life comes directly from God breathing life into the first human, which also makes it special:

• One of the 10 Commandments that God gave to Moses is ‘Thou shalt not kill’ (Exodus 20:12)

  • Some Jews view euthanasia and abortion as murder and would therefore be against it

• The Torah also teaches that since God gave life, only God can take it away:

• The book of Job also teaches that whatever comes to life or dies does so by the will of God:

• These teachings affect Jewish attitudes towards any issues where one human takes the life of another

• The importance and value of human life is shown through the concept of Pikuach Nefesh, one of the most important obligations of the Jewish mitzvot

  • Pikuach Nefesh means that saving a human life should take priority over everything, even if this means breaking some of the laws set out in the Torah

  • This principle is so important that it puts the value of human life above the value of keeping the Jewish law 

    • For example, although the Shabbat laws are considered an important part of Jewish life, a doctor can disregard them and break the Sabbath laws to save a person’s life if they are in trouble during these hours

The importance of the sanctity of life for Jews today

• The teachings in the Tenakh and particularly the principle of Pikuach Nefesh mean that all Jews must value life and seek to protect it in all situations today

• Jewish beliefs about the sanctity of life influence their attitudes towards a range of subjects including;

  • Abortion

  • Euthanasia

  • The death penalty

  • War

  • Medical treatment

• Jews will apply their beliefs about the sanctity of life when making moral decisions 

  • For example, although abortion is not allowed because of the belief in the sanctity of life, because of Pikuach Nefesh some Jews would say that if the mother’s life is at risk, abortion should be allowed

• Because of the importance of the belief in the sanctity of life and the principle of Pikuach Nefesh, many Jews aim to have a career where they can help in the saving of life, whether it be human or animal

  • Careers such as health workers, aid workers, and police or fire officers all help Pikuach Nefesh