A New York Assisted Suicide bill must be defeated now.

https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2025/05/stop-assisted-suicide-s138-in-ny-senate.html

 בס"ד

May 5, '25/  Achrei-Mos Kedoshim 5785

"Lo Sa'amod All Dam Rei'echa" (Kedoshim 19:16)

¶¶¶ Urgent Public Alert: ¶¶¶

Re: Stop Assisted Suicide S138 in NY Senate, ASAP

To All New Yorkers, and anyone else in contact with them:

Rav Shamshon R. Hirsch (d. 1888 CE) ZY"A taught us: The Truth never lost due to its opposition. The only times Truth has lost beyond recall were when its' advocates failed to properly articulate it and fight for it (see Collected Writings, vol.6, p.104).] One relevant example is lethal "Assisted Suicide" legislation, which preventably passed in NJ about seven years ago - by one single vote in each house of the Legislature.

Serving as a Shelucha DeRabbonon on this for many years, I ask you to publicize that in the wake of passage of Assisted Suicide by the NY  Assembly last week 81-67, we must unrelentingly fight it in the State Senate, where we have a fighting chance. This bill, S138, would enable doctors to give poison to "terminally" ill people who allegedly want to kill themselves.  This is state-sanctioned shefichus domim - downright murder. It would also invariably result in many others being killed as well 

Therefore, in line with the repeatedly published Psak (Rabbinical statement) against all forms of Assisted Suicide legislation (attached, and available on request - text 845-642-1679), which has been signed by a broad range of Gedolei Rabbonim, every voting-age New Yorker is urged to tell their own State Senator the following:

"Assisted Suicide is Assisted Murder, and that's what the legislators are supporting by allowing S138 to pass. Please vote and lobby against this barbaric bill."

For anyone who's senator is considering voting for this bill, please add:

"IF you would vote for this deadly bill, we will vote against you, even if you direct taxpayer money to our community organizations."

If you don't know who your legislators are, just call the NY Senate Switchboard: 518-455-2800, 9am-5pm.

Secondly, please urge all Democratic state senators not yet sponsoring this bill to oppose it (for a list, see below, or email TorahJewsForDecency@gmail.com) - since passage of this bill would ultimately result in the killing of many people who never wanted to die, including those incapable of making such decisions. 

Thirdly, urge all Republican state senators you can to actively expose the deceptive deadliness of this bill -- even according to the standards of those who support helping kill people who truly wish to kill themselves.

Do not be sidetracked by claims of various (flimsy) protections in the bill. All of them can be removed quietly within a few years. In fact, their presence in the bill actually makes it easier to pass it, R"L.

Now is the time to act decisively. The Orthodox Union, Agudath Israel, and Rabbinical Alliance of America all came out against this bill. All Orthodox leaders, advocates, and politicians need remember:

"יש קונה עולמו בשעה אחת"

עבודה זרה י"ז  --