Q&A: Semen Testing According to Jewish Law
Semen Testing According to Jewish Law
Question
Hello Rabbi,
As part of preparing for IVF (in vitro fertilization), we were asked to do a semen analysis.
Are there halakhic guidelines for the test—meaning, should the semen only be obtained during marital relations?
Answer
It seems to me that if you’re going for a procedure like this, it would be כדאי to do so with rabbinic guidance. The Puah Institute deals with this, and it would be worth contacting them. They are knowledgeable both in Jewish law and in the practical side.
Discussion on Answer
Apparently the readers are not all that familiar either, but I examined, clarified, dug into it, and checked again and again. I can say with 198% certainty that truth is not the guiding light of the esteemed commenter who goes by the name “Disgusted with Puah.” Knocking over trash cans and abusing cats is definitely accepted policy with him. He cracks sunflower seeds all the time and throws them around in the middle of the train. He makes anonymous, sweeping accusations with no details and no accountability, in a way that can’t be taken back. Mockery, astonishment, and bewilderment may be the lot of anyone who reads his words.
And the trouble is that when you show this to a child who is neither wise nor foolish, he of course agrees with the criticism and adds many more complaints about that commenter, about his vague and fuzzy statements, and about the style of the person hiding behind a one-time nickname and tossing out accusations that cannot be checked at all. But unfortunately no one gets up and loudly proclaims the bitter truth about that commenter.
By the way, the lobe that works especially well for him is the negligent lobe…
Everything I wrote is, of course, for the sake of the holiness of sukkah wood.
And may those who bring in mercy bring in our mercy.
Apparently the honorable Rabbi is not all that familiar with the matter. But I checked, clarified, asked, investigated, and then checked again and again.
I can say with 100% certainty that truth is not exactly the guiding light of that institute. Lying, and encouraging other rabbis to lie to decent Jewish women, is definitely accepted policy there. They are often stringent when the law does not require it. They make Jewish women miserable in ways that cannot be undone. Suffering, pain, and grief may be the lot of someone who falls into their hands.
And the trouble is that when you show this to decent rabbis, they agree with the criticism and add many more complaints about that institute—about its rulings, its style, and the person at its head. But unfortunately they do not get up and loudly proclaim the bitter truth about that institute.
By the way, the department there that really works wonderfully is the public relations department…
Everything I wrote is, of course, for a constructive purpose.
And may the good Lord grant atonement.