DANIEL SCHIFF 18. Rosner, op. cit., pp. 179-183. See also, David Golinkin ,"Does Jewish law permit genetic engineering on humans?," in Moment, August, 1994, pp. 28-9. 19. Bleich, op. cit., pp. 110-111. 20. Ibid., p. 111. 21. Ibid., pp. 111-113. Natural procreation in the pursuit of a boy and a girl has the concomitant desirable outcome of increasing the Jewish population, since a minority of couples will achieve a boy and a girl in the first two pregnancies. Clearly this is a powerful reason as to why the traditional halakhist would not want to encourage the use of efficient sex selection procedures. 22. Rosner, op. cit., p. 115. 23. This is so provided that acceptable sperm procurement procedures are utilized. Masturbation, for example, is almost universally considered to be improper. See Rosner op. cit, p. 102. 24. Rosner, op. cit., p. 101.

25. Bleich, op. cit., p. 112.

26. For an articulate elaboration of the principles of progressive halakhah see Moshe Zemer , Halakhah Shefuyah, Tel Aviv , 1993, pp. 46-57.

27. Walter Jacob (ed.), American Reform Responsa, New York , 1983,# 160, p. 508. 28. Jacob, op. cit.,# 153, p. 480.

29. Jones, loc. cit., pp. 12-17. Jones reports U.S. figures which disclose that were the preferences of women to be translated into single-child families, there would be 161 males born for every 100 females. In a family of more than one child, their preferences would produce 171 first-born males for every 100 first-born females. He avers that even among those who are supporters of the women's movement, a preference for sons prevails.

30. See, for example, Stanley, loc. cit., pp. 196 f¥..

31. Jones, loc. cit., p. 11.