Spiritual Care und Judentum

The Jewish way of dealing with illness, dying, and death can be viewed as a paradigm for moral diversity within our society but also for religion- and culture-related spiritual care. In the religious tradition of Judaism, unlike in postmodern secular societies, the highest moral principle is not the right to self-determination but rather the obligation to the creator of life and physical life itself. However, within the duty to care for one’s own vulnerable life or that of fellow persons threatened by death, respect of dignity and uniqueness is also the ethical measure of all actions from a Jewish perspective. Ultimately, according to Jewish belief, being created in the image of God gives people their dignity and enables transcendent experiences in encounters with fellow human beings. That is why Judaism attaches at least as much spiritual importance and power to the care of the sick as to fervent prayer or the deepest immersion in mysticism or the study of holy scriptures. Traditionally, the religious obligation to care is taken on by volunteers of the so-called Bikkur Cholim societies on behalf of the community. As “cultural interpreters,” they ideally complement the professional support offered to critically ill and dying persons and thus contribute to successful, culturally sensitive care. Above all, they can enable those affected to realize their authentic autonomy.