A newly Orthodox man wants the sperm he donated to an Israeli sperm bank years ago to be returned to him before its new owner uses it – again.
Ba’al Teshuva Wants His Sperm Back
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
A newly Orthodox man wants the sperm he donated years ago to an Israeli sperm bank to be returned to him before its new owner uses it – again – Ynet reports.
Four years ago a woman purchased the man’s sperm and started insemination treatments. Two years ago, she gave birth to a daughter.
The woman purchased additional sperm from the same donor so that her daughter would be fully related to her next child.
This year the woman tried to get pregnant again. The first try at insemination failed, and the woman was about to start the second in March when the sperm bank moved to block her from using the sperm.
"I was shocked to find out I couldn't use the sperm," the woman told the Israeli tabloid newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, Ynet’s parent, Wednesday. "From the very beginning I wanted my children to be biologically related. That was the reason I kept additional sperm units from the same donor. I think my daughter has the right to have a brother or a sister who share the same genes."
The case was brought to Israel’s Ministry of Health for review. It ruled the man had the right to ask for his sperm back. The ministry is run by a hasidic politician, Rabbi Yaakov Litzman.
The woman petitioned Israel’s High Court. Justice Noam Solberg issued a ruling prohibiting the sperm bank from destroying the sperm until the case is decided.
Offspring produced by artificial insemination using the man's sperm would, according to many halakhic opinions, be considered the man's children. If those children conceived through artificial insemination mate with the man's biological children, all would be considered to be committing incest, and any offspring they produce through those incestuous relationships would be considered mamzerim, bastards, who are forbidden to marry pure Jews.
[Hat Tip: Maskil.]