Jewish Law and the Definition of Mental Retardation

Abstract

The main goal of the presentation is to explore the status of people with intellectual disability within Jewish Law (Halacha), to compare it with the traditional definition of mental retardation from 1983 and the latest American Association on Mental Retardation (AAMR) definition from 1992. Although, in its formative stages, Judaism did not have the diagnostic means or instruments useful for defining intellectual disability, its definitions are quite similar to the 1992 AAMR definition. This new definition eliminated the use of retardation levels and called on professionals to relate to people, who are intellectually disabled according to the abilities and limitations in the person's diverse areas of functioning. The status of people with intellectual disability within Jewish Law was determined according to the degree to which the person can understand acts, which have halachic implications. The goal of the discussion of the halachic status of people with mental retardation is to facilitate their integration within the community and this perception is quite similar to the 1992 definition.