Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Open Letter vs. Assisted Suicide in NY

 BS"D


Urgent: re S8835/ A9515:

An Open Letter to NY State Legislators


January 21, '26/ 3 Shvat 5786/ Parshas Bo


Dear Legislator,

We hereby express our deepest objections to looming Assisted Suicide legislation, A9515 /S8835, "Chapter Amendments" demanded by Gov. Hochul*  to enable her to sign the Assisted Suicide bill for which the  NY Legislature voted last year (S138/A136).

 
These objections are shared throughout all of our communities. See, for example, the broad based Rabbinic Statement posted here: https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2025/05/psak-halacha.html, and the OU statement: 

We also know that together we can do better than that for the terminally ill than this - with advanced pain-control and appropriate emotional person-to-person support.

The Torah Perspective on Suicide:

In addressing the parameters of murder, Judaism unequivocally forbids suicide. The prohibition against suicide is one that extends to all Mankind. When G-d commanded Noach - to relay to all Mankind - the prohibition of murder (Genesis 9:5), He started by saying:

"... [For] Your [spilt] blood - {the taking of} your lives - I will demand justice ..."

Our Sages (in Midrash Rabbah (Beraishis Rabbah)) on that verse, as quoted by Rash"i, received a Divine Tradition elucidating this verse as referring to the prohibition of suicide.

The severity of the prohibition of murder is such that even to kill a person on death's doorstep in order to save a young, healthy person with many healthy years ahead of them is unquestionably prohibited as murder, akin to any other form of murder.

Judaism deems murder so repugnant that even those loosely associated with it earn the stigma articulated by the Targum Yonoson Ben Uziel (in the elucidated Aramaic translation, dating back millennia), on The Ten Commandments, elucidates the verse "You shall not murder" (Exodus 20:13), as follows:

"My Nation, the Children of Yisrael: You shall not be murderers, nor shall you be friendly acquaintances or partners with murderers, nor shall there appear amongst you those who are associated with murderers - in order that your children not follow your example and learn to associate with murderers, ..."*

{* loose translation}

From Maimonides, in his Mishneh Torah (Code of Law), in The Laws of the Murderer and Preservation of Life, 1:15-16, we learn that if someone is capable of saving someone's else life and fails to do so, then the Torah deems it as if he actively "destroyed the entire world." (See Avos D'Rebbi Nosson 31:2.)

Consequently, if we fail to do everything within our power to stop this Assisted Suicide legislation - then it is we who would earn the dishonor of being deemed destroyers of the entire world. 

As bad as murder is, institutionalizing any form of murder is infinitely worse.

Additionally, our objections are not limited to our opposition to murder in principle. This legislation poses many real and present dangers to us, practically speaking. The most vulnerable members of our communities, along with members of the general community - such as the mentally ill and the severely depressed - stand at gravest risk of victimization and exploitation under this legislation.

For example, the mentally ill are not protected before (due to the bill's weak definition of "capable") - and certainly not after (there is no provision to remove the poison from a person with dementia) - the lethal prescription is filled. 

• This bill allows the doctor to suggest poison to a patient in distress.  That enables the doctor to take advantage of a vulnerable patient who was just informed that they are going to die.  The doctor would have the legal right to offer the forlorn patient an option of suicide. In that bleak circumstance, that's akin to directing - if not even coercing - the patient into taking the poison.

• There is much potential for fraud and abuse that is hardwired into this legislation explicitly, and far more so by omission of obviously necessary safeguards. For example, it doesn't even require checking the signatures for forgeries 

• The bill forces both religious and conscientious objectors to collaborate in the killing process, by requiring them to forward medical records, thereby enabling the murder. A Jewish doctor had sued NJ over just such a provision - and lost. (See "Addendum: How Assisted Suicide In Fact Constitutes an Antireligious Edict," below.)

• This legislation also raises alarms of degrading care, particularly by medical staff, and insurance companies. As medical standards degrade, so will the medical care that the insurance covers.
 
• This bill redefines defines the word "Medication" - from something that is per se beneficial - to include poison.  This mutation will fundamentally alter the way medicine is practiced, endangering many in the long-term. 

• A doctor who multitasks in both healing and killing will never be the same doctor who will go to all lengths to save. We insist on our autonomy - the right to have a doctor who only heals.  Under this legislation, will be unable to identify and choose doctors who never collaborate in killing.

• Legislation like this discourages religious people from entering the medical profession.

• It also proliferates distrust of medical professionals within our communities, distrust which has recently hit alarming, all time highs - both in our communities, and in the state at large.

• The Torah exhorts us that one sin leads to another.  We observe this playing out in actual practice.  In all other locations in which assisted suicide has passed, protections and other conditions always get changed - for the worse.  This could occur by a court deciding that certain safeguards are undue burdens (a hazard that this bill's Severability Clause enables). It could also occur via future legislation weakening protections.

In reality, such legislative degradation is guaranteed - since proponents of this bill are unhappy with this compromise.  Many controversial laws pass with certain conditions to appease some of the less intense opposition. However, generally,  those conditions are subsequently voted away with little to no news coverage.

We beseech you, please do not partake in the wanton self-destruction of Civilization - please vote against all forms of Assisted-Suicide and/or Euthanasia.  We cannot vote for those who advance this evil. 

Our Sages observe:

"Some acquire their share in the World-To-Come in a single moment ..."

This may just be your Eternal Moment,

Rabbi Noson Shmuel Leiter,

Executive Director,

Help Rescue Our Children

845.642.1679

Direct: 771.215.8892

Israeli Helpline: 03.721.3337

torahjewsfordecency@gmail.com

Tomim Tih'yeh [countering "New-Age" infiltration]: 

Tomim1679@gmail.com

Presentations on New-Age dangers: 605-313-6831 ext. 2

Heard weekly on New Jersey's WSNR Radio 620AM, co-hosting the renowned Levin At Eleven program, every Thursday evening, 11pm to midnight (ET).

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PS: Addendum: How Assisted Suicide Legislation Constitutes an Antireligious Edict

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See the excerpt below, from the NY Assisted Suicide bill A136, section 2899-m, page 10, lines 29-34 regarding העברה על הדת. It requires the health care provider to transfer patient medical records needed to kill the patient. Thus, this legislation is in fact an antireligious edict, העברה על הדת, the likes of which Our Holy Sages apply the timeless declaration of 
חנניא מישאל ועזריה:
 "את וכלבא שוין"

See Rashi on Doniel 3:16.

Attempts to force Jews to violate the Torah have historically evoked epic mesiras nefesh mamash, as in the times of Chanukah.

Note: This particular provision was not modified in Gov. Hochul's Chapter Amendments.

See below, bolded section, especially the italicized part (all emphasis absent in original).  So much for the mantras about "Choice." 
~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~  ~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~

25    § 2899-m. Permissible refusals and prohibitions. 1. (a)  A  physician,
    26  nurse,  pharmacist, other health care provider or other person shall not
    27  be under any duty, by law or contract, to participate in  the  provision
    28  of medication to a patient under this article.

    29    (b) If a health care provider is unable or unwilling to participate in
    30  the  provision  of  medication  to  a patient under this article and the
    31  patient transfers care to a new health care provider, the  prior  health
    32  care  provider shall transfer or arrange for the transfer, upon request,
    33  of a copy of the patient's relevant medical records to  the  new  health
    34  care provider.

    35    2.  (a)  A  private health care facility may prohibit the prescribing,
    36  dispensing, ordering or  self-administering  of  medication  under  this
    37  article  while  the  patient is being treated in or while the patient is
    38  residing in the health care facility if:
    39    (i) the prescribing, dispensing,  ordering  or  self-administering  is
    40  contrary  to a formally adopted policy of the facility that is expressly
    41  based on sincerely held religious beliefs or moral  convictions  central
    42  to the facility's operating principles; and
    43    (ii)  the  facility  has  informed the patient of such policy prior to
    44  admission or as soon as reasonably possible.
    45    (b) Where a facility has adopted a prohibition under this subdivision,
    46  if a patient who wishes to use medication under this  article  requests,
    47  the patient shall be transferred promptly to another health care facili-
    48  ty  that is reasonably accessible under the circumstances and willing to
    49  permit the prescribing, dispensing, ordering and  self-administering  of
    50  medication under this article with respect to the patient.
    51    (c)  Where a health care facility has adopted a prohibition under this
    52  subdivision,  any  health  care  provider  or  employee  or  independent
    53  contractor  of  the facility who violates the prohibition may be subject
    54  to sanctions otherwise available to the facility, provided the  facility
    55  has  previously notified the health care provider, employee or independ-
    56  ent contractor of the prohibition in writing.
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Assorted Sample Links re Assisted Suicide legislation:
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Broad Rabbinic Statement against A/S:


Recent Developments in NYS:



http://vinnews.com/2025/12/15/new-york-stands-at-a-crossroads-the-fight-over-legalized-killing/ 



~~~
Sample radio broadcasts following the ongoing crisis in NY:
פרשת ויחי, תשפו:


פרשת וארא:

~~~~ ~~~~~

By Rabbi Dr. Aaron Glatt: 

Open Letter to Gov. Hochul by Rabbi Brody & Rabbi Aaron Glatt, MD


Open Letter to State Senators:


Editorial by Dr. Aaron Glatt:


Similar post:


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More Background Information: 

"The Road to Assisted-Suicide is Paved with Amendment Protections."
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Governor Hochul’s Amendments make this lethal legislation more passable by making it ostensibly "safer."  Those Amendments just  passed the Senate Rules Committee last week (January 12) - making it possible for the full Senate to vote on the bill, S8835, any day now.

The Amendment bill in the Assembly, A9195, has been sitting in the Assembly Health Committee, and is not scheduled for a vote this week.  However, it is possible that could change. If it doesn’t change, it is likely that they will vote on it in the Assembly Health Committee - and in the full Assembly - next week, Parshas BeShalach.

The Governor pledged that IF S8835 and A9515 pass, she will sign  Assisted-Suicide into Law.  IF either S8835 or A9515 do not pass, it's extremely unlikely that she will sign it into Law.

Thus, THE only realistic way to stop Assisted Suicide now is to stop A9515 and S8835 from passing.

It's crucial to realize that even with Governor Hochul’s proposed changes in A9515 and S8835, this legislation would not only “legitimize” assisted suicide - as terrible as that is from the Torah perspective - it would also enable the outright homicide of vulnerable individuals who do not wish to die.

The legislators supporting this need to realize that this legislation undermines personal autonomy in the very name of advancing it.

This is due to the remaining loopholes, and due to the absence of a non-severability clause - which would disable the entire bill if any part is declared void - 

בטלה מקצתה בטלה כולה.  

In a bill without a non-severability clause, even meaningful protections are ultimately worthless, because they can be easily eliminated over time by an activist court - leaving the bill's killing machinery operating at full speed, without those protections.

Thus, these protections in the Amendments ultimately serve to "Aid in Killing," by enabling initial passage of Assisted Suicide. They do not at all protect the vulnerable - in the long term - because the protections/amendments will likely be removed from the bill, over time.  This is being done in other places that have passed such bills, due to the absence of a non-severability clause, as explained above, or by subsequent legislation, with little fanfare.

Accordingly, "the Road to Assisted-Suicide is Paved with Amendment Protections."

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