Shalom rav,
May be you remember me. Lea de Lange. I live in Jerusalem and write in Dutch for Dutch publications.
In the past I wrote several times about medical halachic research in your institute where Bible believers, not only Jews can ask questions.
At the moment there is a discussion in Dutch parliament re in vitro fertilization. When a fertilized (in vitro) ovum has a cancer gene such an embryo is not being used, it is being discarded. Only those embryo's that do not have this cancer gen are being implanted in the womb.
The question is what Jewish halacha says about this.
Is it permissible to discard an embryo with this cancer gene or must it be implanted in the womb?
I thank you in anticipation for an answer to this halachic question.
1. According to the Jewish Law it is permissible perform a PGD test in order to prevent severe health problems from the offspring, and to use only the healthy embryos.
2. When an IVF of several eggs produces healthy and unhealthy embryos, the unhealthy in-vitro embryos may be discarded.
Further sources:
Dr Daniel Eisenberg Multifetal Pregnancy Reduction In Halacha
Steinberg A, Abortion for fetal CNS malformations: religious aspects. Childs Nerv Syst 19:592-5, 2003
שלום! הייתי שמח לדעת חוות דעתכם, שאלה שאקווה שלא תהייה מעשית לעולם, אולם בשל מצבי המדרדר עולה חלילה שכן להיות כזו. – מי שנולד עם
שלום לרבני מכון שלזינגר. סליחה,על חוסר הנעימות שבשאלה אבל רציתי לשאול,במקרה ויש שני שדיים שיש הבדל בגודלם באופן שנראה לעין אם מסתכלים טוב: א.אם זה
