According to a report in the daily Yediot Achronot, for the first time in Israel, a chareidi woman is serving as a surrogate mother, helping a childless couple to bring a baby into the world. The report states the woman, a widow from the south, first obtained rabbinical approval to do so.
The report states she received the necessary Health Ministry approval as well working hand-in-hand with the Institute of Fertility and Medicine According to Halacha, Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg Shlita, a noted posek and son-in-law of Rav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach ZATZAL.
The childless couple is described as chareidi as well, childless for 12 years. The surrogate mom said she really wants to help but the money also played into her decision. She will receive half of the $50,000 cost, which also covers the medical expenses involved.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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19 Responses
This child, the surrogate, & the parents (?) will be the focus of intense scrutiny for ever. The surrogate will be stared at & probably attacked, at least verbally, especially as there’s no husband so all her neighbors will know, & the press will be all over the parents & child. What a legacy for this poor baby.
There must be easier ways to make a living.
Woman widower = stira minei ubay
To number 1: I believe that the surogate mom will remain anonymous but this is not the issue. I wonder what the halachic ramifications are with this child. Is the child conceived outside the surrogates body, and then inserted into her body? Is the egg of the real mother or of the surrogate mother? Is the infant a child of the parents halachically and if it is a boy is the surrotage mom not allowed to be meyached with the child? I imagine that there are a million sheilos that will come up and I hope there are answers to all these sheilos. Does rav eliyashiv agree with this psak and what is his opinion?
#1 – it isn’t much of a hidush. The baby’s neighbors will probably think the kid was adopted (baby appears to a childless family with no pregnancy observed) or they will know the whole story (which is incredibly unscandalous). The surrogate’s neighbors were apparently advised by the rabbanim what was going on.
Halachically, this isn’t an interesting story since the issues were resolved long ago, and there are no controversies involved. It isn’t like some rav is coming up with a new and radical heter.
I question the newsworthiness of the matter.
bestbubby, Rav Zalman Nechemia Goldberg gave his approval, why are you all cought up into what other people are going to say and think? This is an unbelievable chesed and mesirus nefesh on behalf of the woman, and now there will be more members of Klal Yisroel in the world. What happened to the isur of Onaah and the mitzva of viAhavta liReiacha kamocha?
I thought it was osur for a woman to become a surrogate because she is putting herself in a matzav sakana and the woman has no obligation to bear children? Who was the rabbi to permit such a thing?
bestbubby- you obviously do not understna dthe pain the couiple must be going through for you to talk with no feelings
Or, people can grow up, realize that this was done al pi halachah, and realize what a brachah the child will be for the parents (far from being a “poor baby”) and give them all their privacy. Is that expecting too much?
What a beautiful story. To answer bestbubby, if everybody would always consider what others think before they act – many important deeds would be left undone. The surrogate obviously knows that people will realize something is funny whey they see her pregnant but she put aside her feelings for the feelings of a childress couple who must have been going through hell these past 12 years. She asked for and received Halachic approval before going forward and we should all stand in awe of her!
#3 – the child is conceived outside the surrogate mother’s body, using the “real” mother’s eggs, and is then implanted in the surrogate. halachically, i am not sure what the status is, regarding yichud and such. check with your local rav
If you have kids you can not judge this poor family.May Hakadosh Baruchu give this family the Bracha to raise this child IY”H with lots of nachas and Bracha and May Hashem also give the Surrogate mother Lots of Bracha that she should be healthy and have an easy time with this!!!
I question the credibility of “Yediot Achronot” on any issue. Certainly they are not to be given any creditability on issues pertaining to Halacha and the Chareidi community. Don’t trust them when they report that the people involved are Chareidi. Don’t trust them when they claim to know the view of Rav Z.N. Goldberg.
to #7. You DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. I certainly DO know about the pain of childlessness, infertility, losing children (PLURAL!!) etc & how it affects people.
So don’t you dare pontificate to me about whether I have feelings or not. You don’t know ANYTHING about me.
Much Bracha and Hatzlacha to all involved.
On a lighter note, the Halachic status of a surrogate baby has already been Poskined by Dr. Suess – see “Horton Hatches the Egg.”
2 weeks ago THE YATED had a classified “looking for a Jewish Surrogate”. I emailed them wondering if this was allowed according to halacha. NO response. At the time I thought it was something that got past their editors.
I asked my rav who stated it would be a question who is halachicly the mother. Is it based on the embryo creation or the surrogate whos body is nourishing the embryo to actually develop and grow.
PS i hope YWN can verify this story accuracy to be sure that the Posek actualy stated his psak as the articles says
what does rav moshe hold about it
i dont know what the poskim say but theres a proof that the surrogate is the true mom:1 yosef and dinah started off as ben leah and bas rochel respectivly see brachos. then they got switched to the other mothers womb (acc to mahrasha niddah 31) and even so they are known as yosef ben rochel etc.. 2 also there should be a proof from hilchos geirus-that a pregnant woman that converts the kid is a ger deoraisa, however on 1 theres a proof to the other side, b.c meforshim ask how did shimon marry dinah, isn’t a ben noach assur to sister from the mother, and some meforshim answer dinah was actually bas rochel. and for proof #2 its only a proof on the surface. the sugya is a deep sugya. i saw brought in the name of rav MOSHE that the embryo mom is the true mom.
#6 Flatbush Bubby:
Do you suppose that you know more halacha than the rav who authorized this? Or is it easy to dismiss it because he wasn’t specifically named? Who are YOU to question the rav who gave the ok? Go bake some cookies.