Expert: Ovadiah ben Avraham - 6/16/2007

Question
Hi, i was just wondering if you would be able to help me with Jewish views on abortion.Do Orthodox and Conservative Jews view abortion differently?
Thankyou for your time.

Answer
Joshua,
Thank you for your question. There is probably no significant difference in the way an Orthodox or Conservative Jew views abortion. In general, we do not believe abortion is murder, as do our Christian brethren. This is based, in part, on the verses that deal with miscarriage in the Hebrew Scriptures (as opposed to the penalty for murder). The mother's life always takes precedence over that of the unborn fetus, since the former is already alive and the latter is but yet potential life. Jews believe that in each generation the messiah may be born. As such, the very fetus that was aborted could have been he. Of course there are other religious and moral reasons. We do not advocate abortion except for reasons that might either harm the mother or that might allow a new child to suffer terribly. Hope this helps. Shalom!