This paper offers an intersubjective account of merciful assistance & the good or appropriate death, that draws on the moral philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas. The author advocates an approach to provider-assisted suicide that pursues a strategy of engagement in the circumstances of death, arguing that mercy involves a profound responsiveness to the vulnerability & suffering of the other. The author addresses a number of vulnerabilities experienced by those seeking the release of death, including: loss of meaning or purpose, misunderstanding, & unnecessary suffering.