I thank the chair and the committee for the opportunity to submit testimony today.
My name is Eric Cytryn, and I am the Rabbi at Beth El Temple in Harrisburg. I am a member of the Jewish Faith’s Conservative Movement and belong to the Rabbinical Assembly of America. I am also a member of JSPAN.
I am here to state that Jewish values and ethics unequivocally support passage of Senate Bill 1182, “The Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Act.” From its earliest sources Judaism has both permitted and required us to act as God’s agents in bringing healing or, in failing that, in reducing pain. In Judaism, there is no positive value to pain. Great Sages in our Talmud are quoted as saying that they would rather live without the suffering of this world even if it meant living without the promise of reward in the world to come.
Alas, that is no one’s choice to make. So, when someone is suffering we do what we can to alleviate that pain. To the extent that marijuana proves effective as a narcotic that quells pain, Judaism supports its use medicinally.
Judaism also supports the use of medical marijuana in providing relief from symptoms, conditions and treatment side effects of glaucoma, wasting syndrome associated with HIV/AIDS, nausea associated with chemotherapy and spasms that accompany multiple sclerosis and chronic pain.
While I give testimony as a Conservative Rabbi, both to my religious left and right Jewish legal experts have voiced their support for the legalization of medical marijuana. The Union of Reform Judaism supports legalization of medical marijuana. Orthodox Rabbis have written in support of the legalization of medical marijuana. And, in Israel, the Jewish State, medical marijuana is already legal.
Because God commands us to be compassionate and merciful, we have a responsibility to respond actively (and not only prayerfully-spiritually) to our neighbor’s distress; and because we believe our bodies are owned by God; and because we believe that medicine is a good thing that God gave us to show our love and concern for our fellow creatures by striving to alleviate pain and heal disease, Judaism unequivocally supports the use of marijuana in medically indicated situations.
The Jewish community urges the House to respond favorably to Senate Bill 1182.
Sincerely,
Rabbi Eric Cytryn
My name is Eric Cytryn, and I am the Rabbi at Beth El Temple in Harrisburg. I am a member of the Jewish Faith’s Conservative Movement and belong to the Rabbinical Assembly of America. I am also a member of JSPAN.
I am here to state that Jewish values and ethics unequivocally support passage of Senate Bill 1182, “The Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Act.” From its earliest sources Judaism has both permitted and required us to act as God’s agents in bringing healing or, in failing that, in reducing pain. In Judaism, there is no positive value to pain. Great Sages in our Talmud are quoted as saying that they would rather live without the suffering of this world even if it meant living without the promise of reward in the world to come.
Alas, that is no one’s choice to make. So, when someone is suffering we do what we can to alleviate that pain. To the extent that marijuana proves effective as a narcotic that quells pain, Judaism supports its use medicinally.
Judaism also supports the use of medical marijuana in providing relief from symptoms, conditions and treatment side effects of glaucoma, wasting syndrome associated with HIV/AIDS, nausea associated with chemotherapy and spasms that accompany multiple sclerosis and chronic pain.
While I give testimony as a Conservative Rabbi, both to my religious left and right Jewish legal experts have voiced their support for the legalization of medical marijuana. The Union of Reform Judaism supports legalization of medical marijuana. Orthodox Rabbis have written in support of the legalization of medical marijuana. And, in Israel, the Jewish State, medical marijuana is already legal.
Because God commands us to be compassionate and merciful, we have a responsibility to respond actively (and not only prayerfully-spiritually) to our neighbor’s distress; and because we believe our bodies are owned by God; and because we believe that medicine is a good thing that God gave us to show our love and concern for our fellow creatures by striving to alleviate pain and heal disease, Judaism unequivocally supports the use of marijuana in medically indicated situations.
The Jewish community urges the House to respond favorably to Senate Bill 1182.
Sincerely,
Rabbi Eric Cytryn
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