Genetics and Judaism

Abstract

Jewish Law ( Halacha ) rarely gives definitive answers nor is it the only source of Jewish thought. A Jewish philosophical–theological attitude may be more useful than Halacha when approaching new questions, such as problems in the ethics of genetics, which were not foreseen by the ancient Rabbis. Jewish mysticism (Kabala) is no less essential. An approach based on these three sources – Halacha , philosophical–theological thought and Kabala – in the context of specific debates, such as those over genetically modified organisms (GMOs), gene therapy, genetic screening, etc., can be valuable both in themselves and as illustrations of applications of a method.