Questions tagged [suicide]
The suicide tag has no usage guidance.
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Can you ask God to kill you?
I know that out of desperation Moshe asks God to kill him and I don't necessarily see any reason it would be forbidden but I was curious if there was any discussion, halachic or otherwise, as to ...
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Can the accidental killer of a relative kill himself?
If a person kills his relative unintentionally, can he also be considered a goel hadam (blood avenger) for the victim (since the victim is his relative)? In which case, he should have permission to ...
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Why do mourning practices surrounding suicide differ from Shulchan Aruch?
It used to be that a person who committed suicide was buried in a separate part of the cemetery and the relatives did not sit shiva (see Shulchan Aruch YD 345). We no longer do these things and we ...
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Would suicide be considered acceptable if it was done to prevent yourself being sacrificed to an idol deity?
This is an oddly specific question but the thought came to me and I wanted to know what your opinions on it would be.
Historically speaking, human sacrifice was a regular occurrence in various pagan ...
user15672
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What is the implication of suicide for home buying among Jewish people?
We have seen a property in an prominently Jewish area. It is owned by a Jewish lady whose husband committed suicide almost 8 years ago by overdosing with sleeping pills. We are not Jewish and the ...
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What is the punishment for someone who talks another person into committing suicide?
There's a famous case in the US of a young woman who basically pressures her online boyfriend to kill himself. The evidence was particularly damning against her and the case is clear that if she hadn'...
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Violating Shabbos for a suicide emergency
Y'all should know by now that we violate Shabbos to preserve human life. If you're still not sure, see Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 328, Rambam, Hilchot Shabbos 2 (English), and a few other sources ...
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When one is diagnosed with a terminal disease, is refusing treatment a form of suicide or acceptable considering the circumstances?
People are diagnosed with terminal illnesses on a regular basis. Many times a person refuses to undergo treatment because they don't wish to experience the pain and exhaustion that would entail.
While ...
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Suicide to prevent Zombification
This is a serious question which deals with what is now a fictional construct, but one that has ramifications and which has been dealt with (in other situations) by halachic discussion such as this ...
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Is it halachically ok to buy and sell cigarettes?
I live in a country where cigarettes are very cheap. I am going to travel somewhere where I can sell cigarettes for much more than it cost me. If I take them, I will make a huge profit.
However I am ...
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Sources that discuss reasons for the prohibition on suicide
What are a few (as many as possible) sources in the Gemara and cases in Tanach that deal with why one is not allowed to take his/her own life?
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Was Samson permitted to commit suicide and if so why?
In Judges 16:30 Samson commits suicide.
Samson cried, “Let me die with the Philistines!
See Metzudat David there
Seemingly his supernatural strength had returned, perhaps only temporarily. But, ...
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Killing a Rodef and collateral damage and suicide
Similar but an extension of Killing Civilians in a defensive war
On September 11, 2001, there was a military pilot in an unarmed military jet who considered flying into one of the hijacked planes in ...
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Is a sotah woman considered a suicide?
If a woman drinks the sotah water and dies is her death considered a suicide since she would have known that drinking would kill her?
user6641
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What is the punishment of suicide according to Jewish sources?
If a Jew committed suicide, what will be the punishment ? Is it the same for a non Jew ?
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Is it appropriate to say Baruch Dayan Ha'emes for someone who commits suicide?
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 ...
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Is there such a thing as judicial suicide for a capital crime?
In midaeval Japan, for example, everyone's lives are based on the possess of honor derived from adhering to a rigid moral code (bushido). Higher-ranking citizens, such as the samurai, would, if upon ...
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Save your fellow Jew: does that include suicide?
It says in the Torah that one must not stand by while your brother's blood is being shed. If another Jew is committing suicide, would one still be obligated to save him because of this mitzvah? If so, ...
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Are there texts where the author describes how he wishes to actively arrange his own demise?
A selicho in Nusach Ashkenaz for 10th Teves starts
אזכרא מצוק אשר קראני
and contains a phrase,
"לו חץ בְלִבִי יָרִיתִי" - -
"would that I could shoot an arrow through my heart."
This seems an ...
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Was Ahitophel Punished In The Afterworld For Committing suicide
I have 2 Questions here:
Was Ahitophel A Tzadik? (Righteous Person)
Why did Ahitophel commit suicide in Shmuel 2 17:23, as in why did he think that this would be a good idea as opposed to just ...
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Is suicide okay if someone is (being) captured by barbarians?
The barbarians in question have a history of sometimes freeing their captives but also have a history of torturing their captives to death.
And what if it is becoming clear that no one will negotiate ...
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What is the Jewish belief about atonement for suicide?
Is it possible that the sin of suicide is not forgiveable because the person is no longer living and cannot perform teshuvah? Can the soul repent once it has left this world?
(I did see a question ...
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Yibum & Chalitzah for a widow whose husband died by suicide
Do the halachos of Yibum and Chalitzah apply (Rachmana Li'tzlan, Hashem Yishmor) to the widow/ brother(s) of a person who died via suicide?
(ie is this type of death different than other types of ...
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A child that commits suicide (R"L) -- losing certain merits
A person who kills himself (R"L) as far as I know loses certain zechuyos (merits) in terms of their kavurah (burial) and other dinim (rules. See here for more). Is the same true if it was a katan (...
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Can Gentiles practice idolatry if their lives are in danger?
Can Gentiles do idolatry in case they are compelled by someone or a law of the land? And if so, if he doesn't, would that be seen by God as suicide or a good thing for not surrendering to idolatry? I'...
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If a person commits suicide as a result of another person trying to protect other from him, who is chayav?
So, this is in relation to cases where there is perhaps a certain person who presents a reasonable amount of harm to other people, either physically, or emotionally, or sexually or anything like that ...
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Why didn’t Iyov commit suicide?
Iyov says the following (6:9)
וְיֹאֵ֣ל אֱ֭לוֹהַּ וִֽידַכְּאֵ֑נִי יַתֵּ֥ר יָ֝ד֗וֹ וִֽיבַצְּעֵֽנִי׃, Even that it would please God to crush me; that He would let loose His hand, and cut me off!
Rashi ...
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