Ah! I said a while back that I thought I read somewhere in the Sil that death was actually a gift given to Men by Ilúvatar. It turns out I was not crazy, but right.
Quote:
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For it was not permitted to the Valar to withhold death from him (Beren), which is the gift of Ilúvatar to Men.
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The Silmarillion Chapter 19 -end
So this would lend itself to the theory that perhaps the "suicide" of elves was less of a negative, extinguishing action, but rather the seizing of a gift naturally denied them. I don't know. Perhpas this helps a little.