I am interested what the Torah/Old Testament says about sterilization, specifically vasectomy and tubal ligation. Both my wife and I are in our early to mid 40s, we have a 15 year old daughter and a 13 year old son. We have been married for over 17 years. We have reached the age where we no longer believe that we would want children, and pregnancy is riskier as women get older. Is surgery an acceptable solution?

Answer

Jewish law forbids undergoing a vasectomy.

These laws can be found in Maimonides (Laws of Forbidden Relations, Chapter 16) and in the Code of Jewish Law (Even Ha'ezer, Chapters 5 and 16).

Rabbi Mordecai Rottman explains the reasons for the above laws by focusing on man as a creation of God.

1) Mutilation of a limb is intentional disruption of the Divine Plan.

Through a perspective that man is a creation of God, it is thereby imperative that every limb in the body is there for a reason. God is not fickle to create anything unnecessarily. Indeed, there are no "vestigial organs" or anything of the sort according to one who believes that God created man. Nothing is extra, and removal or mutilation of organs is only permitted under very specific halachic guidelines, for example, when the limb is endangering the person's life.

Mutilation of removal of an organ without halachic license is either ignorance or arrogance, and it is certainly forbidden. Even if one thinks he has a good reason, he must submit to the superior wisdom of God who has determined that the reason is not good enough.

2) Mutilation of a limb is an act of ingratitude

Our bodies are not ours. Our bodies are a gift from God and they belong to Him. We were not given the right to mutilate our bodies at will. Mutilation of this gift is an act of ingratitude before God. Imagine getting as a gift an expensive and wonderful painting from a dear friend. Upon receiving the painting you promptly pull out a pocketknife and slash a hole in the painting. Does this not show a lack of appreciation and gratitude for this wonderful gift?

3) Mutilation of a limb disrupts spiritual growth

Another angle is the kabbalistic angle. We are taught in Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism), that every part of the body corresponds to a spiritual counterpart in the soul. In Kabbalah it is taught that there are 613 limbs in the human corresponding to the 613 mitzvot. Each physical organ represents a physical vessel for the corresponding spiritual organ.

According to Kabbalah, the soul attains perfection by using its physical counterpart according to the will of God, through the performance of positive mitzvot and through the abstention from negative commandments. Keeping that in mind one can begin to see how by damaging a physical organ one can affect the soul. And how by mutilating the body intentionally one can even cause imperfection in the soul that can change the person's halachic status.