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that a child born from such insemination is a mamzer and that the
woman becomes forbidden to her husband. While other poskim dis-
agree with this, all agree that insemination with Jewish donor sperm
is forbidden.

When the sperm is from a non Jew some poskim permit it in prin-
ciple provided the woman’s husband gives his consent, for there is
no concern that the child marry his paternal sister from his father,
nor is there any issue of mamzerus with sperm donated by a non Jew
[though obviously, it is an unseemly step to take], while other poskim
forbid even this. According to all opinions however, there are several
mishaps that can result from artificial insemination with semen from
a non Jewish donor, for the woman and her husband will certainly
conceal the fact that this is not actually their child. We shall list some
of the potential hazards:

1. If the woman’s husband is a Kohen, they will pass the child
off as a Kohen. He and all his subsequent offspring will
raise their hands in Birkas Kohanim and in doing so will
make untold numbers of blessings for naught. They will
also violate the prohibition of non-Kohanim bestowing
Birkas Kohanim.
This child may be invited to fill the Kohen’s role at a
Pidyon Haben, since both he and the baby’s father hon-
estly believe he is a Kohen, whereas he not a Kohen and
any redemption money he accepts renders the redemption
invalid.
A male child requires Pidyon Haben even if his true
father is a non-Jew but in practice his mother will be em-
barrassed to redeem him from a Kohen, since she is pass-
ing him off as [her husband’s child and therefore] a Kohen
[and as such exempt from pidyon].

2. In the eventuality that this child one day ends up divorcing
his wife, he will write his name in the get as the son of his
mother’s husband [whom he believes is his father but] who
is not actually his father. Perhaps there is no cause for con-

74 1 Medical-Halachic Responsa of Rav Zilberstein