Q&A: Abortion
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Abortion
Question
Hello Rabbi,
I’m not sure whether you already answered a similar question; in any case, I didn’t see one.
If we define death as the point when the brain stops functioning (and not when the body stops its processes or development), then isn’t the definition of life brain activity?
If so, does that mean there’s no problem with aborting a baby until it begins to develop a brain?
Answer
Life is not brain activity. That is only one of the indications of life. A baby’s brain functions, but it is not yet fully mature—unlike a brain that has died.