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It says in the Torah, “Lo sin’af (Do not fornicate)” (Shemos 20:13)
which the Sages interpret (Niddah 13b) to mean, “There should be
no fornication among you, either by hand or foot [meaning, rubbing
the male organ with a hand or foot and emitting semen for naught]
(Maadanei Yom Tov ibid. on the Rosh, Niddah chap. 2, 1,40). See
the commentary of the Sifsei Kohen on the Torah (in parshas Yisro),
which cites a medrash of Chazal that expounds the word sin’af to
mean “lo se’heneh mei’af [do not derive pleasure from af i.e. from the
emission of semen, which is a sin that arouses af, Hakadosh baruch
Hu’s anger] sin’af…tein af, meaning that transgressing this sin em-
powers Heaven’s anger, giving it dominion in the world.

The Shulchan Aruch (Even Ha’ezer 23,1-2) writes: “The wasteful
emission of semen is forbidden – this sin is more severe than all other
transgressions in the Torah… this refers to those who fornicate with
their hands and extract semen, not only are they transgressing a grave
prohibition but whoever does this is ostracized. Of them it says,
‘Your hands are full of blood’ (Yeshayah 1:15) [i.e. wasting this means
of bringing about new life is tantamount to shedding blood].”

The gemara says further in maseches Niddah (13a) that those who
wastefully emit semen are akin to murderers for it is written, “Those
who warm themselves with oaks beneath every fresh tree [who warm
themselves with the wood from trees in bonfires, meaning hedonists
-- Rashi] who slaughter children into rivers beneath rock outcrop-
pings” – do not read shochtim (who slaughter) but sochtim (who
squeeze).”

Emitting semen to freeze for later use cannot be permitted for
several reasons:

1. The sin of emitting semen is being done now but the se-
men is not being used now because the patient has no wife.
In a similar situation the Noda B’yehudah (Yoreh De’ah,
Tinyana, 210) forbade dissecting a cadaver in order to gain
proficiency in medical practice so as to treat patients who

92 1 Medical-Halachic Responsa of Rav Zilberstein