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Brain Death and Halachic Death

When is a person halachically dead — when the heart stops, or when the brain does? Modern medicine forced Jewish law to confront a question the ancient sources never had to ask, with life-and-death stakes for transplants and life support. The classical sources discuss only the underlying principles; the canonical contemporary responsa (Igrot Moshe, Tzitz Eliezer, Yabia Omer, Minchat Shlomo) on this 20th-century halachic issue are not yet ingested in full.

The modern halachic debate over whether brain-stem death constitutes death for halachic purposes (with implications for organ donation, ventilator removal, time of death rulings). Major positions: R. Moshe Feinstein (Igrot Moshe Yoreh De'ah 2:174, 3:132) generally accepts brain-stem death; the Rabbinical Council of America accepted it 1991; the Chazon Ish, Rav Elyashiv, Rav Auerbach, and most Charedi poskim reject it, requiring cardiac arrest. The Tzitz Eliezer wrote extensively on both sides.