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who knows that he will be asked to authorize mercy kill-
ings is allowed to accept such a position. However, if he has
already accepted it without his employment being condi-
tional upon his supplying such authorization and should
he refuse to provide it he will be dismissed, it appears that
he is allowed to authorize it. However, he should merely
confirm that the patient cannot be cured, that he is suffer-
ing terribly and that he has asked to be put to death but he
must not instruct a non-Jewish physician to perform the
mercy killing.
3. All this applies only to a hospital that serves non-Jews but
if there are Jewish patients there as well it is forbidden to
authorize mercy killings, even for non-Jewish patients.
4. In practice, the physician should write and sign as follows:
“For me, as a Jew, it is forbidden to carry out mercy killings,
however, according to the directives of the government,
which allows it, I hereby declare that this patient is ter-
minal and that according to the government’s directives he
can be put to death.”
5. Authorizing abortions for non-Jews is very stringently for-
bidden because a non-Jew is put to death for performing an
abortion. Therefore, it is correct to refrain from accepting a
position as director [when this will involve giving the above
authorization]. However, if a Jew has already accepted the
position and for refusing to provide authorization he will
be dismissed, it appears possible to rule leniently, provided
that should he resign he will be replaced by non-Jewish
director who will authorize the abortions.

458 1 Medical-Halachic Responsa of Rav Zilberstein