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Tables of Contents for The Jewish Tradition and Choices at the End of Life
Chapter/Section Title
Page #
Page Count
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1
16
The Transformation of Death and Dying
4
4
A Personal Note: Putting My Cards on the Table
8
3
An Overview of This Book
11
6
Looking to Jewish Law and Beyond in Matters of Life-and-Death
17
20
The Traditional Text-Centered Approach
18
2
Application of the Traditional Text-Centered Approach to Matters of Life-and-Death
20
1
A More Liberal Text-Centered Approach
21
2
Jewish Texts Were Not Divinely Revealed
23
2
An Alternative Approach Focusing on Personal Autonomy
25
3
Refashioning Our Approach to Matters of Life-and-Death in Light of Spiritual Judaism
28
2
Love, Compassion, and Forgiveness: Keys to Spiritual Judaism
30
3
The Search for Meaning and Purpose in Our Lives: Another Key to Spiritual Judaism
33
4
Why Me? Why Now? Why This? Looking at Suffering from the Perspective of the Jewish Tradition
37
24
Spiritual Judaism and Our Concept of God
39
1
Is God Omnipotent and Omnipresent?
39
3
Is God Good?
42
1
Why is Suffering Pervasive?
43
5
Our Earthly Suffering and the World to Come
48
1
An Overview of the Jewish Mystical Tradition
48
1
A Quick Tour Through the World to Come
49
4
Learning to Reframe Your Pain and Suffering
53
8
Our Immortal Soul and the Ebbing of Consciousness: The Quest to Define Death
61
26
Death Moment Visions in the Jewish Mystical Tradition
62
3
The Process of Dying in the Jewish Mystical Tradition
65
1
The Death Moment in the Jewish Mystical Tradition
66
2
Our Immortal Essence: The Soul in the Jewish Mystical Tradition
68
2
The American Legal System and the Transformation of the Definition of Death
70
2
The Contemporary Jewish View of the Definition of Death
72
3
Where Do We Go From Here?: The Higher Brain Definition of Death
75
5
At the Frontier of Medicine and Spiritual Judaism: When Does Disensoulment Occur?
80
7
The Jewish Tradition and Pulling the Plug: Withholding or Withdrawing Medical Treatment and the Use of Pain Medication
87
36
Medical Care Decision-Making at the End of Life
88
2
The Impact of Judicial Decisions and the Transformation of Medical Ethics Standards
90
3
The Jewish Approach: An Overview
93
1
The Traditional Jewish Principle of Goses
94
3
Medical Futility and the Jewish Tradition
97
2
Withholding or Withdrawing Machines, Medications and Other Medical Treatments
99
3
A Reality Check
102
1
Withholding or Withdrawing Artificial Nutrition and Hydration
103
3
Another Reality Check
106
3
The Use of Pain Medication and the Jewish Tradition
109
3
Spiritual Judaism and the Dilemmas Posed by Aggressive Pain Relief Techniques
112
11
Facing a Life Threatening or a Chronic Illness: The Jewish Tradition and End of Life Decisions
123
40
Facing a Terminal or Chronic Illness: Examples of Physician-Assisted Suicide
127
2
American Legal Background
129
1
Suicide
130
1
Physician-Assisted Suicide and Voluntary Active Euthanasia
130
1
A Reality Check
131
2
The Jewish Tradition and Physician Aid-in-Dying
133
2
The General Prohibition in the Jewish Tradition Against Suicide and Its Exceptions
135
4
Physician-Assisted Suicide and Voluntary Active Euthanasia in The Jewish Tradition
139
2
Looking at Two Historical Examples
141
2
Reconsidering the Role of Physicians
143
3
The Dutch Experience: Are We on the Slippery Slope?
146
4
Quality of Life Considerations
150
2
Another Reality Check
152
3
Spiritual Judaism and the Acceleration of Death
155
8
Ten Suggestions for Patients Facing a Terminal Illness or a Chronic, Debilitating Conditions
163
34
Don't Blame Yourself
165
1
Develop Your Faith and Trust in God
166
1
Turn to Prayer and Meditation
167
1
Prayers
167
3
Meditation
170
2
Take on More Responsibility
172
1
Cultivate a Positive, Lighthearted Outlook
173
1
Reframe Your Pain and Suffering
174
3
Participate in Social Support Networks
177
1
Find Meaning and Purpose in Your Life
178
2
Listen to Your Inner Voice
180
2
Engage in a Life Review
182
1
Create a Life Roadmap
182
1
Use the Meaning of Life Meditation
183
1
Some Concluding Thoughts on Finding Meaning and Purpose in Your Life
184
1
Benefits of Selfless Service to Others
185
1
Achieve Emotional and Spiritual Closure with Your Loved Ones
186
11
Questions for Patients Facing a Terminal Illness or a Chronic, Debilitating Condition
197
26
Spiritual and Religious Issues
198
3
The Physical and Mental Quality of Your Life
201
6
Emotional, Social and Financial Concerns
207
1
Emotional Issues
207
6
The Social Quality of Your Life
213
2
Financial Considerations
215
1
Putting It All Together
216
3
Consider and Involve Your Loved Ones in your Decision-Making
219
4
A Loved One's Perspective on a Patient's Plight
223
38
The Impact of the Initial Diagnosis of a Terminal Illness or a Chronic, Debilitating Condition and Thereafter
223
2
The Benefits of Providing Informal, Home Caregiving
225
1
The Dilemmas Caregivers Face
226
2
Strategies for Meeting Your Needs as a Caregiver
228
3
Suggestions for Meeting a Patient's Physical Needs
231
1
Suggestions for Meeting a Patient's Emotional and Spiritual Needs
232
1
Offer Prayers Outside a Sufferer's Presence
233
1
Use Guided Meditations
234
1
Guided Angel Meditations
235
1
Use Guided Visualizations
236
2
Encourage Forgiveness
238
3
Death Bed Rituals in the Jewish Tradition
241
1
The Death Bed Confessional Prayer
241
2
Use Guided Meditations
243
1
Use Guided Visualizations
243
2
Dealing with Death Moment Visions
245
1
Facilitating a Life Review
246
4
Visualizing Deceased Family Members, Friends, and Angels
250
1
Surrendering To and Entering the Clear Light
251
1
Disidentifying with the Body
252
2
Some Questions If You Are Asked by a Loved One Who Wants to Accelerate the Transition of Life
254
3
Be There at the End
257
4
Planning Ahead: Advance Care Directives and Organ Donations
261
34
Disaster Strikes and Horror Results From Failing to Plan Ahead
262
1
American Legal Background: Advance Care Directives
263
4
American Legal Background: Postmortem Organ Donations
267
1
The Jewish Tradition and Living Wills
268
3
The Jewish Tradition and Postmortem Organ Donations
271
3
Some Planning Suggestions for Preparing an Advance Care Directive
274
1
The Need for an Advance Care Directive
275
1
Selecting a Healthcare Proxy
275
3
Indicating Your Specific Instructions: Intervention Options or Treatment Goals
278
1
Intervention Options
278
2
Treatment Goals
280
2
Additional Thoughts on Your Specific Instructions
282
1
Do Not Resuscitate Orders
283
1
Describing Your Values and Beliefs
284
2
Some Concluding Thoughts
286
9
Conclusion: Our Search for a ``Good'' Death
295
6
Selected Bibliography
301
2
Index
303