ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the many texts and laws within Judaism that provide guidance and insight into the importance of end-of-life care as a means of honoring these Jewish principles. It explores within the body of traditional Jewish text, those sources and teachings that reflect the tonal understanding within Judaism regarding its affirmation of the sanctity of life and its understanding of palliative care. Jews traditionally do not write out the Divine Name, recognizing that The Infinite Source of Creation and Blessing is beyond anything that our finite human minds and language can conceive. Jewish tradition is replete with rituals and principles that reflect caring for life: from the tradition of giving monetary gifts in denominations of 18 to the understanding that the most important Jewish laws, such as those related to the Sabbath, should be broken in order to save a life. Palliating symptoms of distress should be a fundamental goal of medicine.
