Rabbi Sol, Kevorkian allowed people who were dying in pain and shame to choose to die on their own terms. For having the courage to stand by those beliefs in a legal system which doesn't recognise the possibility of a "good death", he deserves to be honoured in the same way as Sir Thomas More, who similarly died for his beliefs in a legal system that didn't allow for recognition of certain basic rights.

"Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." If I'm dying with no chance of recovery, and I am unable to kill myself, then I would like someone to kill me. Sol, if you're the nearest, I would like you to put a knife through my heart, and I would bless you for doing it.

As I said, kudos to Judaism for trying to keep up with medical advances. The problem is that this rule on ventilators seems to have been conceived when ventilators and other similar systems could only be used as temporary measures. For some years now, it's been possible to keep bodies physically alive indefinitely with ventilators and pacemakers, so this rule is clearly now outdated and needs to be rethought.

Graham.