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Chazal that expounds the word sin’af to mean tein af, meaning that
transgressing this sin empowers Heaven’s anger, giving it dominion in
the world.] The Achiezer (Vol. III, 24) permits causing an emission
of semen even by hand – it is astonishing how he writes this, contrary
to the Yam Shel Shlomo (in maseches Yevamos) who forbids it. Many
poskim cite the comments of the Yam Shel Shlomo, the Achiezer
himself among them.

Here is the order of preference in regard to the manner of obtain-
ing sperm for therapeutic purposes [or for artificial insemination]
according to those poskim who permit it:

1. Retrieval of semen from the woman following intercourse.
2. Prior to intercourse the man should don a perforated con-

dom that will allow passage of semen to the uterus, and the
semen remaining in the condom can be used for testing.
3. He should “thresh within and winnow without” meaning,
he should conduct intercourse normally but when the
emission starts he should withdraw and ejaculate into a
test tube. Although this practice is stringently forbidden if
done not for the purpose of medical testing, some poskim
permit it for medical purposes.

ɳ Summary and Conclusions

1. Many poskim permit obtaining semen from a paraplegic
to artificially inseminate his wife because: 1. the semen
is emitted without erection or lust and is neither impure
nor confers impurity; 2. the man is anyway unable to sire
children; 3. the emission of semen is caused indirectly.

2. The semen should be obtained in the most halachically
lenient manner possible.

3. Even according to the poskim who permit the emission of
semen for the purpose of medical testing and therapy, it
should not be obtained through masturbation [“fornica-
tion by hand”].

Semen from a Paraplegic 2 35