I do not understand. If total brain death = cessation of HB and breathing, why is his heart still beating? If there is a machine forcing his breathing and heart beat, wouldn’t that be understood by the rabbis and laws as “artificial?” Thus stopping an artificial control of these activities would show that the precious boy was Not doing the breathing or making his heart beat.
Very sad. I don’t know whether to wish a refuah shelemah in this case but I do just in case.
I disagree with Jewish teachings about some areas of life because I do not believe that someone needs to take a first breath to be alive, and I am furious with the ruling that a family cannot have a full Jewish burial for a stillborn child. It would be such a comfort for the grieving family. I feel that if the rabbis a millenium + ago had only seen an ultrasound image they would have ruled differently. And I believe G-d does rule differently. Maybe this example is similar if the poor boy is actually not breathing or living but a machine is forcing it.
If there is a machine forcing his breathing and heart beat, wouldn’t that be understood by the rabbis and laws as “artificial?”
Artificial isn’t the issue, rather the removal of necessary sustenance. It’s my understanding nourishment, iv liquids and/or tube feeding are pretty clear, once started they can’t be stopped. Most medication, particularly those that impact patient comfort as well, even if they hasten death. You might get some disagreement on mechanical means, as is being used here, but the family’s position is sound. The issue isn’t the maintenance of life, rather it’s termination which isn’t our call.
I disagree with Jewish teachings about some areas of life … I feel that if the rabbis a millenium + ago had only seen an ultrasound image they would have ruled differently. And I believe G-d does rule differently.
The Orthodox/Reform disagreement over modern reinterpretation, not the place to get into that.
If this is the case I'm thinking of, I recall hearing that he's on medication to keep his heart beating.
If that's the case, along with the cessation of any brain activity at all, it seems to me that they are merely keeping a dead body from decaying.
There has to be some point at which this boy is declared dead.