Lesson 4 - Jewish Perspectives on Contraception & Fertility pt1 1.10.11

We began the lesson with a quick quiz on the key terms encountered so far - please see the list on the left.

'Be fruitful and increase in number.' Genesis 1:28

This very famous quotation from the Torah was the starting point for today's discussion. We discussed what it meant and why it would have been important for the Jews in Biblical times. Then, in a thoroughly modern take, we listed different sorts of contraception (this NHS website listed 15! http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Contraception/Pages/Guidetocontraception.aspx#methods)

Writing these on post-it notes we then explored how differently Orthodox and Progressive Jews might view them and put them in order of which was most likely to be seen as acceptable from a traditional point of view. We found that the pill and other methods that did not interfere directly with the spilling of semen (see Genesis 38:8-10) meant that it was the woman in the relationship who would a) take direct responsibility for contraception and b) meant that STD would not be prevented.

The three principles that affect Jewish attitudes to contraception are:

1. Jews are required to 'be fruitful and multiply'
2. Sex is for pleasure as well as procreation
3. Wasting seed (semen) is not permitted.

The Orthodox Tradition: The Reform Tradition:

emphasises how precious children are also emphasises the preciousness of permits contraception only where pregnancy would children, particularly in the light of pose a threat to the mother's life or health of the Shoah

does not allow contraception for social or economic allows contraception for social

reasons or economic reasons

does not allow couples to use contraceptive methods allows individual Jews to choose

that impede normal intercourse (e.g. condom) which method to use