Judaism = Pro-life

The Tanach, impresses one who reads it all, as strongly pro-life. The first commandment that G-d gives humanity is to “be fruitful and multiply,” have children and raise them. There is no exception provided for children interfering with career plans, or other supposed negatives of providing humanity with a next generation.  Since this is what G-d wants us to do, who are we to look for a way out?  G-d is infinite, non-contingent being; all else, we humans included, are highly contingent -- limited.

Among the last things that Moses tells us is, “Choose life that you and your children may live.” This is not a ‘voluntary guideline’ to be followed if convenient. Some claim that Torah somehow sanctions abortion on demand.  If this were true, why is there not even one intentional killing of an unborn baby in the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible?  

The text is quite specific concerning animals that are required for Temple offerings.  Torah tells us what are permitted to eat and not eat. Torah tells us with whom we may and may not marry. One would expect that if the voluntary killing of an unborn baby were to be allowed, it would be presented at least once among the 613 commandments.

Pro-abortion Jews interpret the Talmud as permitting the killing of an unborn baby.  This is due to the statement that it is just water for the first 40 days. The Talmud comes from the late Ancient to early Medieval periods. This predated modern medical technologies. We know now that when the sperm and ovum unite there is a combining of the mother’s and father’s DNA. When it comes to a live birth, the result is a human baby – never a mouse, a moose, or a mop. It was never just a “clump of cells” without differentiation, form, or function.

As this new being is developing, growing, the question at hand is not “Is it alive??  The real question is, “When, if ever, does it cease to be ‘life unworthy of life?’”  When should it have the right to be part of the reproductive process?

If, fair reader, you were, G-d forbid, to contract a serious illness, this writer hopes you would seek modern medical help, not look to Medieval medical information.  

The concept of Tikkun Olam is often cited as justification for abortion and a number of additional ‘liberal’ agenda items. Tikkun olam does not occur in the Hebrew Bible.  It is found in the Aleinu near the end of services: the actual phrase is ‘tiknae olam b’malchut Kel Shaddai,” to repair the world in the kingship of G-d Almighty.  Unfortunately, the most important part of this, the sacred nature of the project, is omitted by many modern Jews. The sacred means that whatever is proposed must be consistent with actual Torah and Talmudic texts and traditions, 249 positive as well as 365  negative Torah commandments, even those ‘politically incorrect” commandments. A casual reading of Jewish history from Abram and Sarai forward, demonstrates that Judaism is the ultimate ‘counter cultural’ movement of all time.  We still exist because with G-d’s guidance and help, we resisted assimilation to  ‘progressive’ impulses of various now dead cultures.  

How does a pro-abortion Jew avoid the knowledge that every killing of an unborn Jewish baby gladdens the hearts of Jew haters and white supremacists everywhere?  It is good to spread joy in the world, but there are many much better ways to do this and many others more worthy of being made happy, such as, among others, unborn babies.

Don Belding, OBM