3

Baruch Dayan Ha'emes is the brachah associated with bad news. More specifically, it has become known as the brachah to say when hearing of the news of someone's passing.

Is it appropriate to say Baruch Dayan Ha'emes when someone commits suicide? On the one hand, someone Jewish died. On the other hand, the person who died killed someone, and their death was itself an act of retzichah.

3
  • 2
    There's another side to consider regarding this particular blessing ("the true Judge"), namely the person's death here wasn't due to God's judgement (or at least, not any more so than any other case of death and arguably less so).
    – Double AA
    Commented Jan 7, 2022 at 17:56
  • 1
    @DoubleAA that's not true in a case of mental illness, and it also applies to someone who was murdered by another person
    – Heshy
    Commented Jan 7, 2022 at 18:52
  • @Heshy Perhaps, but arguably here is worse. Arguably too all deaths are the same judaism.stackexchange.com/q/19037/759
    – Double AA
    Commented Jan 7, 2022 at 18:57

1 Answer 1

6

From dinonline:

https://dinonline.org/2012/11/02/dayan-ha-emes-over-suicide/

One does not recite the “Baruch Dayan Ha-Emet” over a suicide. The reason for this is that the blessing refers to Divine judgment, which is part of His will. In the case of a suicide, death itself is a sin, and this is clearly not Hashem’s will, so that it is inappropriate to recite the blessing (see Yalkut Yosef 56:1).

This applies specifically to a suicide that is not mourned for, and not to somebody who took his life out of mental disturbance.

4
  • 1
    link to yy yalkut.info/…
    – Double AA
    Commented Jan 7, 2022 at 19:41
  • Don't we assume these days that most or all suicides take their own life out of mental disturbance?
    – Mike
    Commented Jan 9, 2022 at 18:40
  • @Mike Every case should be evaluated on its merits. There's no need for assumptions.
    – Double AA
    Commented Jan 10, 2022 at 19:58
  • May we not also consider that the person regretted at the last second and tried to stop or reverse?
    – Damila
    Commented Jan 11, 2022 at 5:08

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .