Burial (with possessions)…Are You Allowed?
I have an ailing uncle who enjoyed much material wealth during his lifetime and would like to have many things buried with him. He also wants to be buried with an Orthodox burial society, since his father was Orthodox. Would an Orthodox burial society allow him to be buried with money, gold and the like?
Brain Death: The Marlise Munoz Case
I am sure you have heard of the situation of Marlise Munoz in Ft. Worth who was brain dead, but the hospital kept her alive since she was pregnant.
My questions are:
What is the halachic position on this?
Can a body be kept on life support to keep a fetus alive?
Is there a point in the life of the fetus when the body must be kept alive (anywhere from 2 weeks of the first sign of pregnancy to term at 38 weeks)?
Can the family intervene and at what point does one party overrule the other: hospital, family, legislature, or the deceased person’s medical power of authority?
