The concept of a Halachic state (Hebrew: מדינת הלכה‎, Medinat ha-Halakha) refers to a hypothetical Jewish commonwealth in the Land of Israel governed by Halacha. In such a state, Jews would be required to adhere to the laws of the Torah, and non-Jews have the status of ger toshav and would be required to follow Noahide law.

United Torah Judaism (UTJ) and Shas in principle aspire to the transformation of Israel into a Halachic state. However, since they also believe that a Jewish-run state is halakhically forbidden until the Messianic age (based on the Three Oaths), the aspiration is essentially messianic and they are not trying to implement it at this point in time. In contrast, Chayil and other Kahanist groups actively promote this (Kahanists such as Kach and Kahane Chai advocate the abolition of secular democracy and the creation of a Halakhic state in its stead). Meimad is the only Jewish religious political party in Israel that actively opposes a Halachic state. The National Religious Party wishes to increase the Jewish religious character of the state incrementally by influencing individuals. Many Israeli settlers of the Gush Emunim movement intend to create an autonomous Halachic state in Judea and Samaria if Israel ever withdraws from those territories. See State of Judea.

The Terri Schiavo case ( /ˈʃaɪvoʊ/) was a legal battle involving prolonged life support in the United States that lasted from 1998 to 2005. At issue was whether the husband of Teresa Marie "Terri" Schiavo had the right to terminate life support for his wife, who was diagnosed by doctors as being in a persistent vegetative state. The highly publicized and prolonged series of legal challenges presented by her parents and by state and federal legislative intervention effected a seven-year delay before life support finally was terminated.

Terri Schiavo collapsed in her St. Petersburg, Florida, home in full cardiac arrest on February 25, 1990. She suffered massive brain damage due to lack of oxygen and, after two and a half months in a coma, her diagnosis was changed to vegetative state. For the next few years doctors attempted speech and physical therapy and other experimental therapy, hoping to return her to a state of awareness. In 1998 Schiavo's husband, Michael, petitioned the Sixth Circuit Court of Florida (Pinellas County), to remove her feeding tube pursuant to Florida Statutes Section 765.401(3). He was opposed by Terri's parents, Robert and Mary Schindler, who argued that she was conscious. The court determined that she would not wish to continue life-prolonging measures, and on April 24, 2001, her feeding tube was removed for the first time, only to be reinserted several days later. On February 25, 2005, a Pinellas County judge ordered the removal of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube. Several appeals and federal government intervention followed, which included U.S. President George W. Bush returning to Washington D.C. to sign legislation designed to keep her alive. After all attempts at appeals through the federal court system upheld the original decision to remove the feeding tube, staff at the Pinellas Park hospice facility where Terri was being cared for disconnected the feeding tube on March 18, 2005, and she died on March 31, 2005.

Zev Leff, Rav of moshav Matityahu, Mateh Binyamin, Israel, is an American-born Orthodox Jewish rabbi and a widely-popular Torah educator who teaches and lectures regularly at English-speaking yeshivot, girls' schools, community centers, synagogue functions, and other events in Israel, as well as in England, South Africa and the United States. Known for his wit, humor and analytical brilliance, Rabbi Leff's taped lectures on Torah and Jewish themes are distributed worldwide. He is also the author of a book on the weekly Torah portion and a prolific columnist for English-language newspapers and magazines.

Born in the Bronx, New York to non-observant Jewish parents, Rabbi Leff attended a local Hebrew school. When his family moved to the Greater Miami area, he decided to increase his religious observance and enrolled at the Hebrew Academy of Greater Miami. Since his learning skills were not up to par with other boys his age (fifth grade), he was placed in a third-grade class. Within two years he had caught up to his grade, and also made the decision to become Shomer Shabbat.