‘TEAM’ Shabbos promotes ‘end-of-life awareness’

There are few instances in halachah where one is obligated to override other mitzvos in the Torah in order to keep one mitzvah. Two such instances are pikuach nefesh, when a life is threatened, and mes mitzvah, when a fellow Jew may not be given the respect that Jewish burial provides.

The Torah explains the reasoning for the value of life, when prohibiting the taking of another’s life, by saying “ki b’tzelem Elokim osah es ha’adom,” man was created in the image of Hashem.

The same reasoning is used when the Torah mandates the respect given to the body after death, as the Torah says in Ki Saitzai, “ki killas Elokim talui,” the image of Hashem would be defiled if a body is not buried immediately.

The common thread connecting these two mitzvos is the recognition of and the prominence given to each and every individual, as every person represents a tzelem Elokim.

Many people do not fully understand the modern-day practical applications of these concepts. Pikuach nefesh today involves making the proper medical decisions to ensure that one’s life is prolonged. Mes mitzvah is no longer a body found in the field that needs to be buried, but rather someone in good health making a choice to be cremated instead of choosing traditional Jewish burial.

This Shabbos Parshas Vayechi (12.26.15) is the Shabbos designated by TEAM, the Traditional End-of-Life Awareness Movement, to generate awareness about the inherent sanctity of life, the significance of making appropriate end-of-life decisions, and the importance of traditional Jewish Burial. 

Today’s medical ethic defines life by its quality. Hospitals and medical institutions frequently push patients to pull the plug and minimize medical procedures, ending their lives prematurely. 

There is a widespread lack of knowledge and awareness about the importance of every moment of life, the Torah view on the afterlife, and the requirements of kevurah k’halachah. Therefore, people within our community, and certainly many of our relatives, acquaintances and co-workers, make end-of-life choices that are contrary to Torah values.