Pragmatist
Pragmatist

Harry had a doctors appointment near where Allen lives, so we went to visit after Harry got done with his appointment. Allen is looking forward to moving back east to be near his (one of them) son and his family. He's smiling and laughing, and even making jokes now. I know he's still mourning, but the immediate pain seems to be fading. It's awful to lose a spouse. They would have celebrated 50 years last month. And they were true soul mates.

Didn't get home until shortly after 3:00pm, and I was hungry! Had a bunch of mail to get through. And by the way, readers, if you haven't gotten a comment to your diary, you will. I just couldn't get to all of you yet.

Chatted on line with my sister for a couple hours, but was able to catch a quick nap before class time.

I've been taking a course in Jewish Ethics. Class meets on Tuesday evenings for 8 weeks. Then there's a hiatus, and the next 8-week class will start. This will be an ongoing thing.

Anyway, the class tonight was on abortion. The liveliest and noisiest class we've ever had. Boy! talk about a subject that has vigorous proponents and equally vigorous dissenters! Even the Rabbis haven't come to a consensus. Most, though, will say that if the mother's life is in danger then abortion is permitted. But there has to be a clear danger of death to the mother.

Another point made that I thought was interesting: the baby CANNOT be harmed if the head has presented, even if completion of the delivery will kill the mother. One school of thought holds that life begins at conception, but it's only life, and the soul doesn't enter the body until after delivery. Another school holds that the soul enters at the time of conception. One of the great rabbis said that abortion was murder but not a capital crime. Which means that the mother can't be put to death for a capital crime (murder).

I'll quote two commentaries, and then let my readers mull over the justification or not for abortion at any stage:

"According to Rashi, the fetus is not yet considered a full living soul, and termination of pregnancy is forbidden as mutilation of the body; it is permissible only with overriding justification."

"According to Maimonides, the fetus is a living soul whose life can be terminated only when it endangers the life of the mother."

I think it's a fine distinction between the two, but both have agreed that it's permissible, but under somewhat different conditions.

There's more reading to be done (homework), and I may have more to say on this topic. Or maybe not.

Goodnight all.