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mitzvah of procreation. [Accordingly,] testing semen cannot be per-
mitted unless it is clear that there is a remedy for the man’s condition
and that without the test it will be impossible to heal him.

The Maharsham in his responsa (Vol. III, 268 and elsewhere), also
writes that emitting semen for testing is forbidden and that there is
no proof from Yevamos (76) nor from the Beis Shmuel’s ruling, since
one cannot rely on the physicians’ guesses here when they are doubt-
ful. The exception to this is in order to permit Shabbos desecration,
where we desecrate Shabbos even for uncertain piku’ach nefesh. Here
though, we cannot permit this serious prohibition when the benefit
of doing so is uncertain.

Now, even those poskim who permit emission of semen for medical
testing do not allow it right after marriage. The couple must first wait
until several years of infertility have passed. As we have mentioned,
the Achiezer (Vol. III, 24) permitted it for a couple who had been
married for ten years without children. See also the sefer Hayovel for
Rabbi Y. Rosenheim (p. 98, article by Rav Yosef Yonah Tzvi Halevi
Horowitz, Av Beis Din in Frankfurt-am-Mein), who writes in the
same vein that even those poskim who permit emitting semen for
medical testing only permit it after ten years. Until that time they
should wait and perhaps they will have children without committing
this serious sin of emitting semen. The Igros Moshe, (Even Ha’ezer
Vol. II, 16) – after concluding that the emission of sperm for testing is
permitted – adds that the couple should wait for five years from the
day of their wedding because it is very common that young women do
not become pregnant before several years have gone by. However, re-
garding a situation of need, the sefer Chayei Nefesh (p. 83) writes that
when he sought the Chazon Ish’s ruling, the Chazon Ish responded
that if the matter is urgent, it can be permitted after two years.

ɳ Summary and Conclusions

1. Emission of semen to check whether a man is a kerus shufchah:

The gemara in Yevamos permits emission in order to investigate

Obtaining Semen 2 21