GEN874 Is Artificial Insemination from a Donor (A.I.D.) Permissible?   … the question … has not yet been definitively answered.  Rabbi Waldenberg categorically prohibits it as an utter abomination, and cites Rashi’s comment on a Talmudic passage. Rashi interprets the Biblical phase “…to be a God unto thee and to thy see after thee” [this verse] to mean that God favors only those whose genealogy (i.e. paternity) is known. Rashi commentary to Yevamot 42a.   The phrase in the Talmujd itself reads “to distinguish between the seed of the first (husband) and the seed of the second” Thus, Rabbi Waldenberg prohibits A.I.D. because the genealogy of the child is unknown. Another reason given by Rabbi Waldenberg and in many other responsa is “lest he marry his sister” as mentioned in the Talmud. Therefore, avoidance of possible incest would interdict A.I.D. A third reason for prohibiting it is that after the “proxy” father’s death, his other children may “steal” the portion of inheritance belonging to the child produced by A.I.D. Alternatively, the child may wrongly receive inheritance from his mother’s husband upon the latter’s death. Therefore, the question of stealing an inheritance makes A.I.D. forbidden. Even if the donor’s identity is known, continues Rabbi Waldenberg, A.I.D. is still prohibited, one reason being that the scriptural phrase “And thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbor’s wife to defile thyself with her” Leviticus 18:20 includes the prohibition of having one’s semen enter another’s wife even without the sexual act. There is, generally, strong rabbinic opinion, including that of Jakobovits, that A.I.D. should be condemned as “an act of hideousness” or “an abomination” or “human stud farming.” Although, technically, A.I.D. does not produce an illegitimate offspring, according to most viewpoints, it should be outlawed lest it pave the way to increased promiscuity. Only under the situations of extreme need does rabbinic opinion, as stated by Schwardron S.M. Schwadron, Maharsham (Brezany, 1910), vol 3. No. 268 and Bauol Y. Baumol, Emek Halakhah (New York, 1934), no 68. permit A.I.D. ROSNER 110-11