Selected Reform Responsa 187
conclusions, one way or the other.
Also, the fact that the laws and discussions of the Rabbis with regard to bath insemination are of a theoretical nature, is of importance. Not one incident of actual bath insemination is attested to in Jewish literature. What we find, including the Ben Sira case, is mere aggada. Had such an incident actually occurred, the rabbis might have found a solution entirely different from the known theoretical considerations. Noteworthy is the fact that the sages never recommend bath insemination, even if this were the only means of saving a marriage, which ranks very high with the Rabbis . A case in point is an incident in Yev. 65b(see ibid.).
I do not claim that the last word has been said on artificial insemination in its relation to Jewish life and practice. It is hardly possible to draw safe conclusions from the theoretical accidental insemination found in Jewish sources to the artificial insemination of our day. While indications strongly point to a negative answer(particularly if the seed of a stranger is to be used), other aspects of Judaism must be explored as well, in order to arrive at a conclusion reflecting Judaism at its best.
Whereas I do not see sufficient evidence for recommending the issuance of a prohibition against artificial insemination, I should like to caution against a hasty heter(permit) for which I found no backing worth the name in our Jewish teachings.
Alexander Guttmann