"BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY"

BIRTH CONTROL

The Talmudic discussion of birth control is limited to cases in which childbirth is difficult or the prospective mother is too young to safely have children: if lactation was still taking place was acceptable also. Birth control for other reasons was rejected 2* The continued discussions indicate that birth control was, nevertheless, successfully practiced. As John Riddle has demonstrated, knowledge of various plants which successfully control ovulation or are early abortivants was widespread. There is considerable discussion of this in a papyrus dating to 1850 B.C.E. and a much broader discussion in the Hellenistic literature. The recipes provided were clear; of course we know almost nothing about the development of folk medicine, but statistics indicate that birth control was widely used by all segments of the ancient and medieval world.” There were clear indications that birth control was used in Jewish circles as well. This was true in the Talmudic period and later times. The responsa similarly indicated such usage for many periods of our history.?® Efforts to broaden the legitimate use of birth control methods were undertaken by Solomon Luria in the fifteenth century.”

On the other hand, restrictive efforts were undertaken by Akiba Eger and others in the late 18th century. This reflected not only an innate conservatism, but also a perceived need to stave off all signs of modernity. Akiba Eger , Moses Sofer , and others were aware of the encroachment of the modern world and sought to insulate the community in every way possible. This meant rejecting apparently harmless changes in synagogue architecture, the more dangerous Bible translation of Moses Mendelssohn , and birth control. I do not know whether these scholars were aware of Luria 's earlier decisions, but it would have made little difference.

This negative stance was rejected by Jews in the West. To the best of my knowledge none of the Reformers felt impelled to deal with the subject. Nothing was written on it from a Reform point of view until Jacob Z. Lauterbach's responsum of 1927. He made it clear that birth control was permissible from a Reform point of view.” Our view of the halakhah and our understanding of personal autonomy have led to the widespread use of birth

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