{"id":15799,"date":"2026-06-04T19:11:47","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T19:11:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/?p=15799"},"modified":"2026-06-04T19:34:55","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T19:34:55","slug":"what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding the Jewish View of Suicide: Law, Life, and Compassion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ask the Rabbi with Rabbi Chaim Mintz<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">What is wrong with ending one\u2019s own life? If someone is suffering profoundly and feels that life is no longer worth living, why can\u2019t he choose to end it?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Rabbi Chaim Mintz responds<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our lives are not ours to do with as we please. The foundational reason Judaism is against suicide is that Hashem (God) is the Source of all life, and He continues to sustain us at every moment, which means our lives belong to Him, not to us. We are merely entrusted with it in order to serve Him. And just as He gave us rules for how to live life, He also gave us rules about ending it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Jewish View of Suicide: The Value of a Single Moment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As Hashem told Noach (Noah), \u201cHowever, your blood that belongs to your souls I will demand\u201d (Bereishit <a href=\"https:\/\/library.alhatorah.org\/?r1=Bereshit_9:5&amp;s1=1&amp;l1=he,en\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/library.alhatorah.org\/?r1=Bereshit_9:5&amp;s1=1&amp;l1=he,en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">9:5<\/a>), which Chazal (our Sages &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/library.alhatorah.org\/?r1=Bavli_Bava_Kamma_91b&amp;s1=1&amp;l1=he,en\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/library.alhatorah.org\/?r1=Bavli_Bava_Kamma_91b&amp;s1=1&amp;l1=he,en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bava Kama 91b<\/a>) understand as a strict Torah prohibition against taking one\u2019s own life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Furthermore, life is always worth living. One must never underestimate the gift of life or the value of even a single moment in this world. If Hashem is keeping a person alive, then in His infinite wisdom He knows that this person still has something to accomplish. Every moment a person is alive is another opportunity to serve Hashem, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/mitzvah-matzah-whats-connection\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/mitzvah-matzah-whats-connection\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">perform <em>mitzvot<\/em><\/a> (Torah commandments), and grow spiritually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Indeed, Chazal (<a href=\"https:\/\/library.alhatorah.org\/?r1=Bavli_Kiddushin_80b&amp;s1=1&amp;l1=he,en\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/library.alhatorah.org\/?r1=Bavli_Kiddushin_80b&amp;s1=1&amp;l1=he,en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kiddushin 80b<\/a>) teach that a person should not complain about his suffering, for all of life\u2019s difficulties pale in comparison to the extraordinary gift of being alive. No matter how challenging life may be, every moment in this world is precious and should be cherished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Understanding the Halachic Gravity of the Act<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is why the Torah prohibits suicide. In fact, <em>halachah<\/em> (Jewish law) dictates that suicide is no less than murdering someone else, as, because life is not ours, taking one\u2019s own life is no different from taking someone else\u2019s. In both cases, a life is taken, and the ability to continue living and serving Hashem is lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And in a sense, suicide is even worse. When someone murders another person, as heinous an act as it is, and although the person can never be brought back, the murderer can still <a href=\"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/the-fabulous-gift-of-teshuvah\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/the-fabulous-gift-of-teshuvah\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">do <em>teshuvah <\/em>(repent)<\/a> and receive atonement, as no sin is beyond repentance. On the other hand, someone who ends his own life dies without an opportunity to do <em>teshuvah<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In fact, a deliberate act of suicide is considered in <em>halachah <\/em>to be such an egregious act that a person who takes his own life has the status of a <em>rasha<\/em> (wicked person), and we do not eulogize him or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/the-first-7-days-a-shiva-guide-for-mourners-and-comforters\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/the-first-7-days-a-shiva-guide-for-mourners-and-comforters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sit <em>shivah<\/em><\/a><em> <\/em>for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Halachah and Mental Health: A View of Compassion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In practice, however, this law almost never applies. The overwhelming majority of those who take their own lives are suffering from profound emotional or psychological distress and are not acting with a clear mind. They are therefore not considered wicked; rather, their death is a tragedy, and they are treated with compassion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">In Short<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The core Jewish view of suicide is that our lives are not ours, they belong to Hashem. He gives us life and sets the rules for it, including that we may not end it. Every moment we are in this world is precious\u2014an opportunity to do another mitzvah and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/about.php\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/about.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">earn eternal reward<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button aligncenter tm-cta\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/application\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Every moment in this world is a precious opportunity to grow spiritually. Partner with a torahmate to discover the depth of our heritage.<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:18px\"><em>Written by Rabbi Aaron Shapiro<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>Disclaimer: <\/strong>This article focuses strictly on the Torah and halachic outlook regarding suicide and is not intended to address or replace mental health guidance. If you or a loved one are contemplating suicide, please seek immediate assistance by calling or texting the National Lifeline at <strong>988<\/strong>, or by speaking with a licensed mental health professional.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:18px\">Have another question to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oorah.org\/asktherabbi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ask a rabbi<\/a>? You can ask Rabbi Mintz your own question by joining&nbsp;Ask the Rabbi Live on Tuesdays at 9PM ET. You can also submit your questions to&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:asktherabbi@oorah.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">asktherabbi@oorah.org<\/a>, or head to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oorah.org\/asktherabbi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">oorah.org\/asktherabbi\/<\/a> to watch the latest Q&amp;As.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ask the Rabbi with Rabbi Chaim Mintz What is wrong with ending one\u2019s own life? If someone is suffering profoundly and feels that life is no longer worth living, why [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15813,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sfsi_plus_gutenberg_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_show_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_type":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_alignemt":"","sfsi_plus_gutenburg_max_per_row":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[598,27,761,702,8,701,9],"tags":[252],"class_list":["post-15799","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ask-the-rabbi","category-bereishis","category-jewish-faith","category-jewish-philosophy","category-judaism-101","category-mitzvot","category-weekly-torah-portion","tag-ask-the-rabbi"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Jewish View of Suicide - Jewish Resources<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"An honest look at the Jewish view of suicide. Discover how the Torah balances the strict gravity of halachah with deep psychological insight and compassion.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Jewish View of Suicide - Jewish Resources\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"An honest look at the Jewish view of suicide. Discover how the Torah balances the strict gravity of halachah with deep psychological insight and compassion.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Jewish Resources\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/torahmates\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-04T19:11:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-06-04T19:34:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/shutterstock_2606930863.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"667\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"TorahMates\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@oorah\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@oorah\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"TorahMates\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"TorahMates\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/df1cd798c41777159e9fee85cb392ef9\"},\"headline\":\"Understanding the Jewish View of Suicide: Law, Life, and Compassion\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-04T19:11:47+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-04T19:34:55+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":712,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/shutterstock_2606930863.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"ask the rabbi\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Ask the Rabbi\",\"Bereishit\",\"Jewish Faith\",\"Jewish Philosophy\",\"Judaism 101\",\"Mitzvot\",\"Weekly Torah Portion\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Jewish View of Suicide - Jewish Resources\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/shutterstock_2606930863.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-04T19:11:47+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-04T19:34:55+00:00\",\"description\":\"An honest look at the Jewish view of suicide. Discover how the Torah balances the strict gravity of halachah with deep psychological insight and compassion.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/shutterstock_2606930863.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/shutterstock_2606930863.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":667,\"caption\":\"The Jewish view of suicide and the spiritual value of life represented by light breaking through dark storm clouds.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Understanding the Jewish View of Suicide: Law, Life, and Compassion\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/\",\"name\":\"JEWISH RESOURCES by Oorah's TorahMates\",\"description\":\"brought to you by Oorah&#039;s TorahMates\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"TorahMates\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/tm.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/tm.jpg\",\"width\":921,\"height\":824,\"caption\":\"TorahMates\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/torahmates\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/oorah\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/torahmates\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/oorah-inc?original_referer=https:\\\/\\\/www.oorah.org\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.com\\\/oorah\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/OorahKR\",\"https:\\\/\\\/en.wikipedia.org\\\/wiki\\\/Oorah_(organization)\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.torahmates.org\\\/jewish-resources\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/df1cd798c41777159e9fee85cb392ef9\",\"name\":\"TorahMates\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/26e85981eb7a7ffe0e513841f5d6b26a09f4f1ab01d3eff73b79b111f5b3a80c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/26e85981eb7a7ffe0e513841f5d6b26a09f4f1ab01d3eff73b79b111f5b3a80c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/26e85981eb7a7ffe0e513841f5d6b26a09f4f1ab01d3eff73b79b111f5b3a80c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"TorahMates\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Jewish View of Suicide - Jewish Resources","description":"An honest look at the Jewish view of suicide. Discover how the Torah balances the strict gravity of halachah with deep psychological insight and compassion.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Jewish View of Suicide - Jewish Resources","og_description":"An honest look at the Jewish view of suicide. Discover how the Torah balances the strict gravity of halachah with deep psychological insight and compassion.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\/","og_site_name":"Jewish Resources","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/torahmates","article_published_time":"2026-06-04T19:11:47+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-06-04T19:34:55+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1000,"height":667,"url":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/shutterstock_2606930863.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"TorahMates","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@oorah","twitter_site":"@oorah","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"TorahMates","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\/"},"author":{"name":"TorahMates","@id":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/#\/schema\/person\/df1cd798c41777159e9fee85cb392ef9"},"headline":"Understanding the Jewish View of Suicide: Law, Life, and Compassion","datePublished":"2026-06-04T19:11:47+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-04T19:34:55+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\/"},"wordCount":712,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/shutterstock_2606930863.jpg","keywords":["ask the rabbi"],"articleSection":["Ask the Rabbi","Bereishit","Jewish Faith","Jewish Philosophy","Judaism 101","Mitzvot","Weekly Torah Portion"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\/","url":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\/","name":"The Jewish View of Suicide - Jewish Resources","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/shutterstock_2606930863.jpg","datePublished":"2026-06-04T19:11:47+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-04T19:34:55+00:00","description":"An honest look at the Jewish view of suicide. Discover how the Torah balances the strict gravity of halachah with deep psychological insight and compassion.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/shutterstock_2606930863.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/shutterstock_2606930863.jpg","width":1000,"height":667,"caption":"The Jewish view of suicide and the spiritual value of life represented by light breaking through dark storm clouds."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/what-is-the-jewish-view-of-suicide-law-meaning-and-compassion\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Understanding the Jewish View of Suicide: Law, Life, and Compassion"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/","name":"JEWISH RESOURCES by Oorah's TorahMates","description":"brought to you by Oorah&#039;s TorahMates","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/#organization","name":"TorahMates","url":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/tm.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/tm.jpg","width":921,"height":824,"caption":"TorahMates"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/torahmates","https:\/\/x.com\/oorah","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/torahmates\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/oorah-inc?original_referer=https:\/\/www.oorah.org\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/oorah\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/OorahKR","https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Oorah_(organization)"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/#\/schema\/person\/df1cd798c41777159e9fee85cb392ef9","name":"TorahMates","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/26e85981eb7a7ffe0e513841f5d6b26a09f4f1ab01d3eff73b79b111f5b3a80c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/26e85981eb7a7ffe0e513841f5d6b26a09f4f1ab01d3eff73b79b111f5b3a80c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/26e85981eb7a7ffe0e513841f5d6b26a09f4f1ab01d3eff73b79b111f5b3a80c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"TorahMates"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15799","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15799"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15799\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15815,"href":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15799\/revisions\/15815"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15813"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15799"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15799"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.torahmates.org\/jewish-resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15799"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}