CONTRACEPTION CONTROVERSY
The debate over health care policy and contraception, that has been raging over the past few days, is fascinating. And from the point of view of a progressive, religious Jew, the controversy that has arisen pits two very important values against each other. We care about a woman and man's ability to afford contraception and we care about religious liberty and separation of church and state. As a hypothetical matter, the idea that government would impose a policy upon a religious organization raises concerns to Jews across the denominational spectrum. But the idea that easy access to birth control would be impeded because of religious dogma is also disconcerting. One needs a philosopher as much as a political advisor to resolve what seems irreconcilable. The compromises on the table seem to make sense.
But what I think is worth noting, as a rabbi, is Judaism's unusual comfort level with birth control. Especially when you consider how extremist and zealous much of the Jewish Orthodox community has become, you would think they would be extreme on the matter of birth control. After all, a number of their Christian counterparts sure are. But Judaism looks at all of this differently. The Talmud's concern is that every Jewish man should father at least one boy and one girl (Yevamot 61b). As long as that goal is striven for, contraception does not pose a threat. Jewish law, since Torah times, does prohibit men from "spilling" or "destroying" seed, so consequently for the most traditional Jews, vasectomies and condoms and "coitus interruptus" would be prohibited. (However, even there, condoms could be used to protect against STDs). Yet, even among the most traditional Jews, birth control such as pills and patches are fine, since the "seed" isn't "spilled" or "destroyed." Feels good to know that Judaism can be so sensible, doesn't it? Even for the most zealous among our people.