rss
J Med Ethics 2005;31:269-272 doi:10.1136/jme.2004.008169
  • Clinical ethics

The search for organs: halachic perspectives on altruistic giving and the selling of organs

  1. J D Kunin
  1. Correspondence to:
 Dr J D Kunin
 93 Hamaysdim Street, Zichron Yaakov 30900, Israel; jkuninnetvision.net.il
  • Received 26 January 2004
  • Accepted 4 April 2004
  • Revised 29 March 2004

Abstract

Altruistic donation of organs from living donors is widely accepted as a virtue and even encouraged as a duty. Selling organs, on the other hand, is highly controversial and banned in most countries. What is the Jewish legal (halachic) position on these issues? In this review it is explained that altruistic donation is praiseworthy but in no way obligatory. Selling organs is a subject of rabbinic dispute among contemporary authorities.

Footnotes

    Responses to this article

    • The real problem of donating and selling organs
      • Y. Michael Barilan
      J Med Ethics published online May 3, 2005

    This Article

    1. Abstract
    2. Full text
    3. PDF

    Register for free content

    The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.

    Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.