Jewish Medical Ethics and the Power of Parable
Ezra Gabbay, MD, MS , Assistant Professor of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine
Narrative Medical Ethics is a growing field in modern Ethics scholarship. Ancient rabbinic literary traditions found in the Talmud and Midrash often utilize parable-based narratives to teach moral lessons or answer philosophical questions.
In this presentation we will discuss three parables from rabbinic literature that pertain to bioethical issues throughout the life cycle, from birth to mid-life to death. We explore ethical and philosophical elements in those parables that are relevant to modern Medical Ethics. These include reflections on the question of free will, the relationship of body and mind, the meaning of suffering, the importance of legacy and memory and, dilemmas regarding the limits of life sustaining therapy in patients who are severely ill.
We conclude that parables found in rabbinic literature have moral lessons that antedate many of the trends in narrative approaches to Medical Ethics. We argue that the value of these lessons extends beyond Jewish Medical Ethics, and can support ethical reasoning in secular bioethics as well.
In this presentation we will discuss three parables from rabbinic literature that pertain to bioethical issues throughout the life cycle, from birth to mid-life to death. We explore ethical and philosophical elements in those parables that are relevant to modern Medical Ethics. These include reflections on the question of free will, the relationship of body and mind, the meaning of suffering, the importance of legacy and memory and, dilemmas regarding the limits of life sustaining therapy in patients who are severely ill.
We conclude that parables found in rabbinic literature have moral lessons that antedate many of the trends in narrative approaches to Medical Ethics. We argue that the value of these lessons extends beyond Jewish Medical Ethics, and can support ethical reasoning in secular bioethics as well.