Jewish Law and Assisted Reproductive Technology

Whether religious or not, most Jews would likely agree that the family is one of the centers of Jewish life. The value of having children is actually rooted in the Jewish Bible (“the Torah”)—the very first commandment (“mitzvah”) in the Torah is to “be fruitful and multiply.” Many Jewish people avail themselves of medical assistance when they face infertility. Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) have changed the face of modern medicine and modern families. But what does Jewish law have to say about ART? Well, in typical lawyerly fashion, it depends.