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.THE DETIWIT JEWISH MEWS

/May, March 14,,1975

Dr. Solomon Freehof's Responsa: Jewish Attitude on Siticides

Dr. Solomon B. Freehof
has added another impres-
sive volume to his already
long bookshelf on Responsa
with his newest work,
"Contemporary Reform
Responsa."
Published by Hebrew
Union College Press, dis-
tributed by Catav Publish-
ers, this volume contains the
eminent Reform leader's
views on 67 subjects.
The variety of topics tac-
k-led by Rabbi Freehof is an
evidence of the deep interest
the noted scholar has shown
and the attention he has
given to many problems
posed for Reform Jewish
consideration.
The queries addressed to
Dr..Freehof which elicited
answers in this 300--page
volume include the home
and the synagogue, happy
and sad events, relation-
ships with the non-Jewish
community and internal
Jewish communal prob
lems.
The volume contains 58
Responsa and nine answers
included in an addendum la-
beled "Inquiries." The latter
deals with such as planting
flowers on a grave, the Fa-
lashas, a query from Israel
on proselytism and others.
The main section provides
Reform views on homosex-
uals, selling a synagogue to
blacks, "The . Pregnant
sterilizing the fee-
bleminded, marrying the
sterilized, naming a child of
an unmarried mother, fast-
ing if Torah is dropped, sta-
tuettes in synagogue, recon-
verting an ex4Nun,
garnisheeing wages, etc.
While they are Reform
Responsa, that author's
scholirly approaches

make his views notewor-
thy for Conservative and •
Orthodox Jews as well,
It is difficult in a brief re-
view to touch" on the inter-:
esting approaches to the',
many issues involved,. Per-
haps, therefore, emphasis
on a single of -the topics will
give the reader an idea of
the manner of Dr. Freehof's
interpretations. Among the
subjects to which he devotes
an answer of six and a half
pages -is "To Dissuade a
Would-Be Suicide." In . view
of the most recent tragic
end to the lives of a very dis-
tinguished couple, • Dr.
Henry P. Van Dusen, for-
mer president of Union
Theological Seminary, and
his wife, Rabbi Freehof's
approach is timely and espe-
cially interesting.
Dr. Freehof's Responsum
on suicide is in response to
the question: "How much
effort does our religious
tradition require from us to
prevent a persotn from sui-
cide?" He goes into detail,
resorting to numerous inci-
dents that required authori-
tative opinions. He emphas-
izes at the outset that:
"Jewish traditiOn is dia-
metrically , different from
that of the Romans and the
Japanese, among whom
suicide was considered
under certain circumst-
ances virtually only a pri-
vate matter. In Jewish law
suicide is considered , a
Most heinous offense. In
fact, one may judge with
what horror it was looked
upon that in the long and-
often bloody history cov-
ered'by the Bible there are
only three clear suicides,
Saul, his armor bearer,
and Achitophel."

Holocaust Parley Probes Rise
of Nazi Hatred Anti-Semitism

,

-

NEW YORK — Nothing derous Nazi anti-Semitism
in Mankind's history could was fed by an element of
have prepared or warned true insanity and the
East European Jewry of the growing disintegration of
Nazi insanity in planning to European society — ele-
exterminate all Jews and ev- ments totally independent
erything Jewish, Prof. Saul of the Jews themselves.
Friedlander told an over-
Prof. Friedlander deliv-
flow crowd of 800 at the In-
ternational Scholars Con- ered this address as part of
the Philip M. Klutznick In-
ference on the Holocaust.
ternational
Lecture Series
"The combination of a
pathological obsession with on Contemporary Jewish
Jews as bacteria — a source Life and Institutions:
of moral infection — com-
Frank R. Lautenberg,
bined with the ideology of UJA General Chairman
national socialism, created said, "To be a Jew today
an insanity among the Nazis means to cherish life. Juda-
that went beyond the hu- ism• syinbolizes the sanctity
man," declared Dr. Fried- of life. Auschwitz may be
lander, professor of interna- inexplicable, but it is our
tional relations at Hebrew duty as Jews and as men to
University.
see that it is never forgot-
Touching on a major con- ten."
troversial argument at the
Holocaust Conference — Agudath Israel
sponsored by Hebrew Uni-
versity's Institute of Con- to Cite Gov. Carey
temporary Jewry and the
United Jewish Appeal —
NEW YORK — Governor
Friedlander. said, the po- Hugh L. Carey of New York
lemic around Jewish resist- will. receive the 1975 Hu-
ance and the role of the Jew- manitarian Award of Agu-
ish Councils (Judenrat) is dath Israel of America, the
almost secondary and has national movement of Or-
more importance on a moral thodox Jewry headed by the
plane than on the level of nation's foremost Torah
historic perspective.
scholars at its 53rd annual
This was so, he con- dinner April 27 in the Com-
tends, because the mur- modore Hotel here.

z Ni of his sum mation, makes
•this important comment:
"To put it pictorially: If
the would-be suicide is
standing on the ledge of
the twentieth story of a
building and threatens to
jump, you are not required
to risk your life by going
out on the ledge also. You
may stand in the window,
or on the ledge near the
window and hold on, but
certainly you must make
an effort 'to dissuade him.
In this we follow the great
authority, Meir of Rothen-

burg, that it is our duty
not to 'stand idly by' when
a man is trying to commit
suicide. We must try to
save him even though he
shouts, 'I want to die,' etc.
But we are not in duty
bound to endanger our
own life. Nevertheless we
are still in duty bound to
obey the commandment,
`Stand not idly by,' and
mtist make earnest efforts
to save him in spite of him-
self."
The 'new Freehof volume
is, indeed, an enrichment of

Jewish scholarship, an
students of Responsa wi t
find immense value in th
resulting research and corn
ments by the noted Refor n
rabbi.

liat•ol Not. I in tht•
tome in and .rt.
Iterfire 'oe Itts. :

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DR. SOLOMON FREEHOF

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The many aspects related
to the issue are noted in Dr:
Freehof's Responsum and
the esteemed Orthodox
•viewpoints utilized, give
added weight to the ap-
proach as being worthy of
study ,and consideration by
all religious groups in Je-
wry.
Is one obligated to exert
force in preventing suicide?
What does •Jewish law regu-
late on the subject? Describ-
ing actual applications such
as duties of Israelis in time
Of war, Dr. Freehof, as part

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