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250: ARTIFICIAL
INSEMINATION IN
REGARD TO LINEAGE1

ɳ Question

Although artificial insemination has been part of medical practice for
the past fifteen years, in the last decade – with advancing medical
technology and knowledge – it has become an extremely common
procedure.

This case involves a couple who are unable to have children and
tests show that the man is the cause, while the woman is fertile in all
respects. In such a case it is possible to inseminate the woman with
sperm of a man who is not her husband. The sperm can be obtained
from a donor and the woman can either be impregnated with the
sperm immediately or the sperm can be frozen at minus 180 degrees
[in liquid nitrogen] through highly complex technology, which pre-

1. In this siman we shall only be discussing the status of a child born as the result
of Artificial Insemination [even when the parents are married to each other ac-
cording to halachah]. For a halachic perspective on the first question regarding
AID and the issues of mamzerus see further siman 253, as well as siman 259. In
regard to Dr. Czechanover’s second question regarding the prohibition against
wasteful emission of semen see our detailed response in siman 251. In siman 252
we discuss the preferred methods of obtaining semen, in light of the halachic
principle in situations where prohibitions are set aside that calls for violating a
less stringent prohibition before a more stringent one.

Artificial Inseminatio 2 1