SELECTED REFORM RESPONSA

decisions of Judah Hanasi and Abba Areka and reported in the Talmud (ibid. Lc.), 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 XX1.9; Tur, Even Haezer 25: and Isserles on Shulhan Arukh, Even Haezer 25.2). Maimonides (/.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:"Delo chashuv kema-aseh er ve-onan, ela keshemitkaven lehashhit 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 , /.c.).

From the fact that they permit shelo kedarkah even when it necessarily results in hotsa-at shihvat zera levatala we need not, however, necessarily conclude that these authorities would also permit such practices of shelo kedarkah as are performed mimakoo aher or shelo bamakom zara(see Rashi to Yevamot 34b, s.v. shelo kedarkah; 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 Luhot Haberil, 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 hashulhan, 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 mithapehet, kedei shelo tit-aber(Yevamot 35a; also Tur, Even Haezer 76 end). Hence, according to their theory(though not sustained by modern medicine), there are forms of sexual intercourse- shelo kedarkah- which cannot result in conception. These alone- not sexual perversions- do they permit. The statement of Rava (Sanhedrin 58b), taking for granted that an Israelite is permitted(deyisra-e! shari: see Tosafot and Maharsha , ad loc.) to have intercourse with his wife shelo kedarkah is also to be understood in this sense; though from the phrase

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