After hearing that abortion doctor, Dr. George Tiller was murdered, I made the mistake of following the threads mentioning him on Twitter. Many of them, including those by religious Jews, were very positive Tweets about how glad they were that this man was dead, that he had been murdered.
Here is author Ayelet Waldman, in an email I received, speaking out about Dr. George Tiller’s murder:
Most of you are used to receiving from me funny little emails, chock full of jokes and self-promotion. But today I’m emailing for a different reason. Today Dr. George Tiller, one of the last late term abortion providers in the country, was assassinated by an anti-abortion maniac, a home-grown American terrorist, brought to you by the likes of Randall Terry and Bill O’Reilly.
Women went to Dr. Tiller when they were given diagnoses of fatal abnormalities, when they’d been sent from doctor to doctor, desperate to find out what was wrong with their babies, only to hear the worst possible news. They came from all over the country, and found in his clinic — once they’d run the gauntlet of the hysterical and rage-filled protesters — warmth and sensitivity, support and caring. You can read a few of these women’s stories here.
There is no doubt that this vile murder was inspired by the likes of Bill O’Reilly, who targeted Dr. Tiller, and by Operation Rescue and the Kansas anti-choice organizations who put Dr. Tiller’s name, his photographs, his home address, and the address of his church up on their websites, the better to facilitate his murder. Organizations like Priests for Life tried to shirk hoped in the beginning even to pin the blame on “an angry post-abortive man or woman, or a misguided activist, or an enemy within the abortion industry.” (Yes, that is in fact a quote from their official statement.)
I’m going to ask you to do something for me. I’m going to ask you to make a small donation. $5. $10. $100. Whatever you feel moved to donate, in Dr. Tiller’s honor. And in honor of the millions of women like me, whose hearts were broken by pregnancies gone terribly wrong. Women who found only warmth and love in the care of Dr. Tiller and the other courageous few who continue to risk their lives for our sakes.
Donate here, or here, or here.
They kill us, and still they make us stronger. Let’s prove it to them.
Yours,
Ayelet Waldman
An article from Ayelet Waldman about her abortion in The Huffington Post, “A Modicum of Dr. Tiller’s Courage”.
Memoirs of a Jewminicana 
No matter what, in Judaism, a human is a person and un-born child is not a person yet. Murdering a doctor because you don’t like his ahem, specialty is not justified. I assume he was in one of the states where this was legal? As with the guest poster, I realize that most of the women taking the time and expensive to go to this specialist must really want to do so and have good reason. Ok, she did state that more details.
I remember when I was an Xtian being around the fanatics who wanted choice outlawed. These were the people who protested right along side with these murderers of doctors. They were so hate-filled with tunnel vision.
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Aliza,
You already know why I support a woman’s right to choose. Sometimes abortion is truly necessary. We shouldn’t let fanatics get in the way.
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I cannot, and will not, contribute to any fund that memorializes one whose profession was to eliminate the unborn. Dr. Tiller’s death was horrific. His life was worse.
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Did you look at the attached link that should have led you to the stories of women he’s helped.
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Rabanit Hausman-
Facilitating in the destruction of unborn lives can never be helpful to anyone and ultimately is detrimental to the common good of society and the National Community.
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Aliza,
You are promoting positions contrary to halakha. Judaism cannot be reconciled in any way with the pro-abortion movement inaccurately labeled “pro-choice.” These people have no respect for the sanctity of life or for what authentic Judaism teaches. You consider yourself Orthodox, but being Orthodox is more than following just a few mitzvoth. It entails having a worldview in line with what our sages have taught us regarding critical issues which continue to be of importance today. If one just goes through the motions without having a Torah hashkafah, then they are lying to themselves, klal yisroel, and most importantly, the Ribbono Shel Olam. People must keep up with the Torah. The Torah does not change to meet the politically and socially liberal whims of the times.
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Continued
Halakha grants the unborn child the presumption of human life. Ramban and the Halakhos Gedolos rule that when a pregnant mother dies on Shabbos, we must save the unborn child; it is considered a situation of pikuach nefesh, just as with other human lives. This is stated in Erchin 7a, where Rav Nachman says in the name of Rav Shmuel that when a woman dies during childbirth on Shabbos, one brings a knife to cut her abdomen and deliver the baby, even if the melacha of carrying is involved. Rambam holds that abortion is a capital crime- he cites the Gemara in Sanhderin 57b, where Rav Yishmoel explains the pasuk “He who sheds the blood of man in man shall his blood be shed” (Bereshis 9:6) as referring to an unborn child in his mother’s womb. One of the great poskim of the 20th century, Rabbi Isser Yehuda Unterman, who was the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel in the 1960s, ruled that the unborn child has human-like status and that it indeed, represents human life, since even breaking the Sabbath to save its life is permissible. He also finds that abortion involves an appurtenance of murder, and that it is forbidden in all circumstances except when the mother’s life is at risk. Otherwise, it is akin to murder in all circumstances, according to Rav Unterman. Indeed, Rav J. David Bleich, perhaps the leading halakhist alive today in the United States, states in a teshuva of his, “Overriding the Shabbat to save the fetus establishes that it is therefore a human life whose destruction is punishable.”
The Maharit also prohibits abortion on the grounds of chabbalah, that it is the inflicting of wounds upon oneself, which is, of course, forbidden, especially in light of Rambam’s statement that the body belongs to G-d in Hilchos Rotzeiach 1:4. Maharit also rules that a Jew may not assist a goy in attaining an abortion since it is an issur of lifnei iver, in light of the fact that the above Gemara in Sanhedrin forbids abortion even for goyim on pain of death.
Authentic Judaism, as presented by the above sources, views abortion as being akin to murder and involving unlawful self-wounding. How is it possible that anyone who considers himself a religious or Orthodox Jew can ignore what Judaism has to say on an issue as serious and contested as abortion? How can anyone who considers themselves authentically Jewish ignore what our faith has to say on issues of crucial halakhic and hashkafic importance?
The Zohar states in Shmot 3b that “There are three who drive away the Shekhinah from the world, making it impossible for Ha Kadosh Barukh Hu to fix His abode in the universe, and causing prayer to be unanswered. The third is the one who causes the fetus to be destroyed in the womb, for such a one destroys the artifice of Ha Kadosh Barukh Hu and G-d’s workmanship. For these abominations, the Spirit of Holiness weeps.”
I implore you to consider the textual basis for Judaism’s pro-life approach. I understand that for people lacking the requisite background, it may seem unusual for religion to address issues that seem to only have a political and social effect, but as you may know, religion has perhaps been the greatest shaper of values. One’s faith obviously impacts how one views the world, and as Jews, we have the duty to respond to the challenges of contemporary life from a Torah perspective, not from that of foreign ideologies such as feminism, moral relativism and social liberalism.
PS: I am an Orthodox rabbi, dayan (yoreh yoreh yadin yadin), with an academic background in Sociology, Psychology, Jewish Studies and Law.
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My own position on abortion has changed incredibly in the last ten years, though I would have never favored an act of domestic terrorism, and the next day, an act of domestic terrorism that affects me much more personally just occurred.
While I am pro-choice on abortion, I am also pro-choice on speech, and am concerned about how the Feds will react. I would say that people in controversial jobs and controversial locations should up their security.
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I appreciate that almost everyone has been able to be civil in discussion of this hot topic, whether pro-life or pro-choice. Thank you for your posts, wrpn.
Now on to Anonymous, you are just disgusting. How dare you get on my blog and question my Jewishness. Just who the hell do you think you are? And how many Jewish laws do you think you were infringing there by oppressing the stranger?
I suppose that you would also like me to stop being a democrat? Does being a democrat also go against Torah?
I don’t need to sit through a halakhic lecture from you to understand Judaism’s stance on abortion. I am quite clear on the facts. I take issue with being called pro-abortion. No one is pro-abortion. No one wants 1 million children to be aborted on a yearly basis. Anyone that thinks that is just crazy.
I am pro-choice because I believe that in extreme cases, like the ones that came to Dr. Tiller, when the mother’s life is in danger, abortion should be made available. And I don’t trust Christian pro-lifers to allow abortion in these cases where the mother’s life is in danger because the church does not allow abortion in any case. If our government decided to become entirely pro-life, our Jewish doctors would have their hands tied.
Don’t you dare tell me that I’m not Orthodox. If you want to play the game like adults, then keep it above the belt. Otherwise, I have no interest in playing with you.
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To anonymous:
“ignore what our faith has to say on issues of crucial halakhic and hashkafic importance?”
Aren’t you ignoring the Rambam that we must “cut the child up” inside the womb to save the mother’s life?
Aren’t you ignoring that Aliza’s post was about Tiller’s abortions to save the mother’s life?
Aren’t you ignoring a lot, just so you can beat your political drum?
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I agree fully that Judaism mandates abortion when the mother’s life is at risk. The Rabbi stated that. Also, legitimate questions exist whether the left-wing “Modern Orthodox” are really Orthodox at all. Their positions have not been backed by any of our gedolim, including Rav Soloveitchik. Pluralism and feminism have absolutely no legitimate textual basis. Show me one teshuva that allows YCT-style mishegoss. That is why YCT continues to have no effect within Orthodoxy and will forever be just an annoyance backed by Avi Weiss’s ignorance. They are a bunch of liberals and disaffected Conservative and Reform Jews who found a quick way to try to make a name for themselves and get into the spotlight of liberal Jewish media at every opportunity possible, and are trying to infect Orthodoxy with their warped hashkafos. Time will tell- this experiment will fail, just like the non-Orthodox are failing. Conservative Jews are declining rapidly in number and Reform Jews may not even be halachically Jewish in the first place. If you went to the Israel Parade last Sunday, you would see that their ‘temples’ have 15 people marching, if they’re lucky, and the average age of the participants is 70. Our mosdos in the parade had hundreds of kids, families and friends marching. The RCA isn’t letting YCT in because the whole of Orthodoxy knows that Avi Weiss’s experiment will not succeed in the long run. As far as oppressing the ger, I didn’t see the Rabbi say anything to that effect. I doubt a typical convert would have the same fluency and depth and breadth of knowledge as a Rabbi and Posek, in Shas u’Poskim. Show a little kavod ha torah.
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I’ve never deleted a comment unless it was clearly off topic but I’m really considering getting rid of that last one.
I love that when people want to play dirty, they question whether or not someone really belongs to a certain denomination, they question whether or not someone is really Jewish. It’s a good thing I don’t judge Judaism by the people who practice it.
Have you actually looked for the textual basis on feminism or pluralism?
And YU rov, I think that many people would disagree with you. YCT is not having any trouble finding positions for their students in the Orthodox community. That’s just reality.
“Liberals! Disaffected Conservative and Reform Jews!” Nice, well done. Now most people who read the blog won’t take you seriously anyway.
“As far as oppressing the ger, I didn’t see the Rabbi say anything to that effect. I doubt a typical convert would have the same fluency and depth and breadth of knowledge as a Rabbi and Posek, in Shas u’Poskim. Show a little kavod ha torah.” I’ll show respect when given respect. I know many converts who are, in fact, rabbis themselves. They are extremely knowledgeable. Keep in mind that some people convert as babies and grow up like any frum-from birth Jew in the Orthodox community.
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All I see a cheap potshots, “YU Rov”. Are you really a YU Rov? Why don’t you use your own name?
Anyway, it’s simple. Feminism = thinking about how to provide women with as much kevod habriyot as possible. Pluralism = having respect for klal yisrael and acting with ahavat yisrael to all Yidden.
I know that acting like a mensch is out of vogue in some circles, but some of these commenters should try it. Rush Limbaugh may be the head of the Republican Party, but he’s not the Gadol Hador…. as if Orthodox Jews even believe that in the concept of a “gadol” as conceived in Charedi communities.
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Anonymous,
While you may be able to quote this and that from the gemara, you are lacking reading comprehension skills. The issue at hand is that someone didn’t have the right to take the life of this Doctor.
“The Torah does not change to meet the politically and socially liberal whims of the times.”
Actually, it does. It becomes stricter when the politics warrant it.
The examples that you are using do not involve a decision between the mother and the unborn child. You are using examples where the mother dies. This is not a proper comparison.
“He also finds that abortion involves an appurtenance of murder, and that it is forbidden in all circumstances except when the mother’s life is at risk.”
You see this quote above? That’s your statement. HELLLLLLLLLLLLLOOO? This is exactly the type of case that came to this doctor.
“The Maharit also prohibits abortion on the grounds of chabbalah, that it is the inflicting of wounds upon oneself, which is, of course, forbidden”
Which doesn’t apply to abortions performed today. They don’t cut the mothers. They vacuum the fetus out of her insides.
“in light of the fact that the above Gemara in Sanhedrin forbids abortion even for goyim on pain of death.”
Since when are the goyim under the sanhedrin?
Now, I’m sure you’ve read this and decided that I’m one of these horribly liberal left wing of Orthodox types. You’re wrong. In fact, people think I’m chareidi.
I’m not advocating that people run out and get abortions, either. However, as YOU stated, when the mother’s life is at risk, a termination of the fetus is not forbidden.
Besides which, the murder of this doctor thought he knew better than G-d by taking the doctor’s life. Surely, knowing better than Him is assur, unless you have a reference stating that we are allowed to judge. Last time I checked, it’s not the place of humans to judge, that’s G-d’s job.
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YU Rov,
“I agree fully that Judaism mandates abortion when the mother’s life is at risk. The Rabbi stated that. “
Well, you know it was buried in all those statements indicating that abortion is forbidden.
“Also, legitimate questions exist whether the left-wing “Modern Orthodox” are really Orthodox at all.”
So, the truth comes out! Attacking Aliza is not about anything legitimately posted on this blog post, it’s about you know she’s affiliated with the Avi Weiss movement, so you want to criticize her for being part of that. She has posts more in that arena. They would be better suited for such discussions.
By bringing up the Conservative and especially Reform movement, you are really off topic.
Incidentally, I couldn’t tell if some of the groups at the parade were MODERN orthodox, Conservative or Reform. I saw a couple Solomon Schecter schools. I don’t think I saw too many old people in the parade. It was mostly schools. However, I did get there late. I came up when the Hillels were walking by. However, this is seriously off topic.
Nevetheles, I will indulge you on my take on the other movements. I’m happy that people who don’t want to be observant have their own group. Outside of the US, everyone attends an Orthodox shul, whether or not you are observant. Therefore, while the observant might have more opportunities to do kiruv. The non-observant have more opportunities to corrupt. Observant people have to weed through hoades on non-observant people to find someone that they can ask to host them for Shabbos meals. Cell phones go off on Shabbos… I live in an area where many who are not observant come to the Orthodox shuls. I do not like it. Incidentally, they don’t become observant.
Now, we’re really off topic.
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Regarrdless of your position on abortion, killing Dr. Tiller is just plain WRONG!!!!
Why the need for bashing Modern Orthodoxy???????
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Here is a link to a thoughtful, non-confrontational pro-life blog by Pedro Guevara-Mann of the Toronto based “Salt and Light Television.”
http://www.lifeimmeasurable.com/
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I originally wanted to post about all the great Tannaim that were gerim, not sure why a ger (male or female) could not have the same or more fluency and depth and breadth of knowledge as anyone. See ben Bag Bag (and /or ben Hei Hei) or Onkelus for example
I was disturbed by Michal's comment. I am upset most non-Orthodox left Orthodox shuls and now it seems difficult or impossible to get them back.
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YC Book,
Sooooooooo, it's better when it's impossible to find kosher people even in an Orthodox shul? The thing people can't seem to face is that other people will do what they want to do, not what you want them to do. I want to them to be observant, you want them to be observant. If they don't want to be observant, they aren't going to be. Some people like Orthodox shuls full of ringing cell phones on Shabbos. I don't. I can't control if you like or don't like what I think. This is what I think.
I think disturbing, though, is a little dramatic.
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As for what gerim know or don't know, I just want to say this is ridiculous. There are plenty of FFBs who don't know basic stuff. There are knowledgeable gerim. The opposites that were espoused exist, too.
People just have their preconceived notions and they don't to budge from them. Chareidi types have it in their mind that gerim are less knowledgeable. I have changed the minds of some yeshivish folks who originally dismissed me as a gyoress. It took time.
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Michal,
Gemara Sanhedrin in many perkaim deals with the halachos relevant to Bnei Noach. For clarity, that rabbi should have said bnei noach in lieu of goyim, although you should have looked into this for yourself before accusing others of citing irrelevant texts.
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I do not use my name when commenting on blogs, but I specify which institution I belong to so others can identify mt hashkafah.
Aliza took my comment out of context. I never said that gerim are not as intelligent as born-Jews, as she wrongfully accused me of saying on Twitter. I said that it is ludicrous to assume that someone who only recently developed an interest in Judaism and its texts, whether they converted or are baalei teshuva, would have the same fluency and depth and breadth of knowledge as a Rabbi and Posek, in Shas u'Poskim. A ger, of course, can learn and become accomplished in his own right- Onkelos stands out as an example. And so could a baal teshuva or one who lacks a yeshiva education- Rebbi Akiva didn't start learning until the age of 40. I never said that converts are stupid or unable to ascend to heights in ameilus b'torah.
However, I was told by a colleague, R' Alan Brill, who taught at YCT, that, IN HIS WORDS, “Chovovei Torah guys know very little, if anything. Many of them lack a background in Gemara and were not masmidim prior to deciding they wanted to be rabbis. They are producing amei ha'aratzim with semikha and an agenda.”
Additionally, while you feel you “don't need a halakhic lecture to understand Judaism's perspective on abortion,” as Jews, we have the obligation to constantly pursue da'as torah. I am sure you and many others out there, perhaps including myself even, do not know everything there is to know on sugyos such as abortion. I will tell you that most conversion courses are not geared towards learning sugyos aliba d'hilchasa. That is the domain of talmidei chachamim and poskim, and while you may choose to ignore the plethora of relevant mekoros that that posek brought down, at least be grateful that you were exposed to perspectives other than your own and ideas that your camp may choose to suppress because they clearly do not support the “abortion-on-demand” approach embraced by the political left and those Jews who elect to place their allegiance on that side of the argument. You would probably be appalled to know that one of our generation's most beloved baalei ha mussar, Rav Avigdor Miller, zt'l, even declared in 1997 that Orthodox Jews are halakhically forbidden from voting for the Democrats due to their support of abortion on demand and gay rights. A little known fact that was actually shared with me by a Brooklyn Rosh Yeshiva.
Instead of taking issue with those who bring this information to you, maybe you should investigate all sides of the argument for yourself. If you don't like what you read, whether in Rav Unterman, Rav Miller, or the works of other gedolim, take it up with them. And since their works are part of the continuing chain of Torah Mi Sinai, maybe you should ask the Ribbono Shel Olam for help in examining whether your previous ideas on social issues comport with what the gedolim have to say.
They know better than you, than me and than any politician or ideologue out there, including Ayelet Waldman.
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YU Rov, get this very clear. I will not, WILL NOT allow you to use my blog as a forum to attack other Jews, whether YCT-affiliated or converts. If you post any other similar attacks, they will be removed from this website immediately. Stay on topic or get off the boat.
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I do not call myself an expert on halacha, but with regards to abortion – it is more complicated than simply yes or no.
Other than Din Rodef which has been implied by a few here (i.e. when the mother's life is in danger before birth, her life takes precedence over the unborn child), there are other views by many gedolim who allow it under various circumstances. One example which makes it more difficult to simply say it is murder: R' Yair Bacharach (Chut HaShani) ruled there it is not murder, but onanism (see Hebrew wiki page).
Further (in Hebrew) – some poskim have said it is not even considered a life before 40 days of pregnancy.
I'm not saying that it's allowed or that it's not – just that it's not so clear cut.
In any case, Dr. Tiller's death was murder, and there is no doubt that is forbidden by halacha. Period.
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Anonymous,
Again, your reading comprehension seems to be off. What was irrelevant, was your examples all pointed to cases where the mother was dying or dead. Therefore, one is not choosing between the life of an unborn and the mother. If you read the guest post with reading comprehension (oh, yeah that's goyisha speak for kavannah) you would have known this.
Also, you seem to not understand that when someone posts a guest post, it shouldn't be taken as if the poster themself posted it. Most blog owners may post something that they feel has value but, they may not agree with every single solitary point of the guest poster.
Finally, my suspiscions are that you, like “YU Rov” are really trying to pick Aliza apart because you don't like the Avi Weiss movement. The point is that this particular post isn't discussing that and you are off topic. The point of this post is about people celebrating the murder of human life. That is, the life of this Dr. Tiller.
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