Introduction

Important Issues in the
   Care of the Dying

Your “Job” in the Death and
   Dying Process

Hierarchy of the Dying
   Person’s Needs

Living with Spiritual Distress

Overview on Death from a
   Traditional Jewish
   Perspective

The Role of Culture and Diversity

Signs of Impending Death

Resources

Action Ideas That Work

“Real” Intersection of Systems

Helping Individuals Face Important
   Decisions at the End of Life

Questions That are Good    Conversation Starters

Common Questions and Answers

Advance Care Planning

Advance Health Care Directive

Living Will

Durable Power of Attorney for
    Health Affairs

Hospice Care

Helping Survivors Deal With Grief

Questions and Answers About
    Health Care Directives

Handouts

References

Overview on Death from a Traditional Jewish Perspective

Note: A special thanks is offered to Rabbi Chaim Goldberger from Kenesseth Israel Congregation for wtiting this section.

Judaism differs from other approaches in its understanding of G-d as not merely the Creator of the world, but its active manager, guiding all of creation through life, reaching out at all of life's stages to connect with us and to educate us about His existence and our own individual significance within that existence.

While much of life He guides benignly from behind the scenes, death is one portfolio G-d handles directly and personally. Death is the nexus between the eternal parts of our own existence and the temporal ones, and as such it offers a unique opportunity to focus on the Eternal Source who defines human existence and to whom we owe our own.

This means several things. For one, it means that death is a normal and natural part of life. It is governed by Jewish regulations just as all other normal and natural parts of life are governed by Jewish regulations. Judaism dictates terms for everything from conduct at the end of life to definition of life's end to burial to mourning to purpose of life to the eternity of the soul - and everything inbetween. All of Judaism offers an opportunity to connect to G-d via the carrying out of His will, and the processes of death are no exception.

It also means that every moment of life is intrinsically precious. Life does not serve only its temporal master, to its irrelevance when the living person no longer senses its quality. Life serves a higher purpose, and it is only when it no longer serves the purposes of its eternal Master - as indicated by His cessation of its vitality - that we can concur with its demise.

How does this translate into practical end-of-life care? With great complexity, to be sure, as every situation is different and many factors must be brought to bear before the clarity of one's spiritual responsibilities can be attained. But what can be said with uniformity is that no decision impacting on the end of life should be undertaken without the guidance and direction of a competent spiritual authority - a rabbi who is well trained and well versed in both the theory of Jewish legal obligation and its practical aspects. This individual should be selected with great care, he should be brought early into the proceedings, and he should be consulted regularly and often, with increasing acuteness as the situation advances or changes.

Beyond all of the above, moments of death are moments of great human vulnerability. A caregiver is in the difficult position of having to empathize with a condition he or she cannot be expected to fully understand. It is a time that calls forth the most human of our abilities as "ba'alei chesed" - purveyors of kindness. Whether it is kindness to the living, to the dead, or to the survivors, a great deal of humility and sensitivity is needed in order to function in the G-d given role of caregiver. Jewish wisdom can serve as a fountain of living waters in supplying much of the perspective necessary to perform this ultimate of services to its highest good.