Selected Reform Responsa 199

decisions of Judah Hanasi and Abba Areka and reported in the Talmud (ibid., loc.cit .), has been accepted as law by all medieval authorities, and they accordingly permit intercourse with one's wife in any manner (“Kedarkah veshelo kedarkah”)(Maimonides , Yad, Isurei Bi-a XXI1.9; Tur, Even Ha-ezer 25; and Isserles on Shulchan Aruch, Even Ha-ezer 25.2). Maimonides (1.c.) would limit the permission of sexual indulgence(“Shelo kedarkah”) only to such forms of shelo kedarkah which do not result in hotsa-at shichvat zera levatala, for he says: “Uvilvad shelo yotsi shichvat zera levatala.” But other medieval authorities permit intercourse shelo kedarkah even when resulting in hotsa-at shichvat zera levatala. The only restriction they would put on this permission is that a man should not habituate himself always to do it only in such a manner:“Dela chashuv kema-aseh Er veOnan, ela keshemitkaven lehashchit zera veragil la-asot ken tamid. Aval be-akrai be-alma umit-aveh lavo al ishto shelo kedarkah--shari” (Tosafot, Yevamot 34b, s.v.“Velo kema-aseh Er ve-Onan’’; Tur and Isserles , loc.cit.).

From the fact that they permit shelo kedarkah even when it necessarily results in hotsa-at shichvat zera levatala we need not, however, necessarily conclude that these authorities would also permit such practices of Shelo kedarkah as are performed mimakom acher or shelo bamakom zara(see Rashi to Yevamot 34b, and Rashi to Genesis 24:16, compared with Genesis R., XL.5), which are really sexual perversions and not sexual intercourse. See R. Isaiah Horowitz in his Shenei Luchot Haberit, Sha-ar Ha-otiyot(Josefow, 1878, pp. 132-133). It seems rather that the Rabbis were of the opinion that when intercourse is had by what they euphemistically term hafichat hashulchan," whether hi lema-ala vehu lemata or panim. keneged oref, the very position of the woman is such as to prevent conception. Compare their saying“Isha mezana mithapechet, kedei shelo tit-aber”(Yevamot 35a; also Tur, Even Ha-ezer 76 end). Hence, according to their theory(though not sustained by modern medicine), there are forms of sexual intercourse— shelo kedarkah— which cannot