Editing Christianity and Judaism (section)

===Abortion===
{{Main|Judaism and abortion|Christianity and abortion|Ensoulment#Judaism}}
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The only statements in the Tanakh about the status of a fetus state that killing an unborn infant does not have the same status as killing a born human being, and mandates a much lesser penalty.<ref>Exodus 21: 22–25</ref><ref>Daniel Schiff, 2002, ''Abortion in Judaism'', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002. 9–11</ref> (Although this interpretation is disputed,{{according to whom|date=October 2021}} the passage could refer to an injury to a woman that causes a premature, live birth).{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}

The Talmud states that the fetus is not yet a full human being until it has been born (either the head or the body is mostly outside of the woman), therefore killing a fetus is not murder, and abortion—in restricted circumstances—has always been legal under Jewish law. [[Rashi]], the great 12th century commentator on the Bible and Talmud, states clearly of the fetus ''lav nefesh hu'': "it is not a person". The Talmud contains the expression ''ubar yerech imo''—the fetus is as the thigh of its mother,' i.e., the fetus is deemed to be part and parcel of the pregnant woman's body." The Babylonian Talmud [[Yevamot]] 69b states that: "the embryo is considered to be mere water until the fortieth day." Afterwards, it is considered subhuman until it is born. Christians who agree with these views may refer to this idea as abortion before the [[quickening]] of the fetus.

Judaism unilaterally supports, in fact [[Pikuach nefesh|mandates]], abortion if doctors believe that it is necessary to save the life of the woman. Many rabbinic authorities allow abortions on the grounds of gross genetic imperfections of the fetus. They also allow abortion if the woman were suicidal because of such defects. However, Judaism holds that abortion is impermissible for family planning or convenience reasons. Each case must be decided individually, however, and the decision should lie with the pregnant woman, the man who impregnated her, and their Rabbi.