תרומת איברים – מותר או נדרש?

1. In general, although saving life “is the highest obligation,” this does not mean that it is permissible to kill one person in order to save someone else, even if that person is going to die soon anyhow.

2. After classic cardiovascular-respiratory death, the heart is no longer usable for heart transplantation.

3. When the heart is still beating and only brain death has been established, the determination of death is in question. The principal question is whether brain death is considered death according to Jewish law. The practical questions are what definition of brain death is accepted in the specific hospital where the harvesting of the donated heart is to take place, and what are the tests and terms accepted at that specific hospital.

4. As long as the answers to these questions are not definite then the donating of the heart should not be advised without consulting an authorized rabbi.

If the hospital’s tests and definitions are acceptable to the “authorized rabbi,” then transplantation is permitted under Jewish law.