This is a question regarding the marriageability of a Jewish man who knows he has ED. Does the Law say he must still be naturally capable of sexual intercourse without chemical assistance in order to be allowed to marry, since that was the presumptive status long ago of his ability to have children? Or, has that been relaxed in the modern age given recent innovations to restore his ability to have children?
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1Welcome to Mi Yodeya, and thanks for bringing your questions here. Editing in how you know that an impotent man may not marry would vastly improve your post. Also, I recommend the site tour.– msh210 ♦Commented Oct 25, 2015 at 6:17
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3Seems like פְּצוּעַ דַּכָּא וּכְרוּת שָׁפְכָה is being confused with ED by somebody. I don't see where ED is an issue unless it's caused by physical damage, but then Viagra wouldn't cure it, I assume.– Danny SchoemannCommented Oct 25, 2015 at 9:28
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You should try to distinguish between the inability to conceive children (sterility) and impotence (the inability to achieve an erection). Impotence does not preclude the ability to reproduce (the mitzvah of Be Fruitful & Multiply). The Torah viewpoint concerning marriageability is generally concerned with the inability to reproduce. And Impotence does not preclude the ability to provide sexual gratification to ones wife (עונה).– Yaacov DeaneCommented Oct 27, 2022 at 15:00
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2 Answers
See the last Mishna in Nedarim (11:12)
If a wife claim the husband can't get her pregnant, then she can insist on a divorce, if her claim is that she wants offspring to support her in her old age.
That was the original law. Later they changed it that she would have to persuade him to give her a divorce - or (according to the Yerushalmi) else he would charm her into staying.
So we see that ED doesn't absolve marriage - and therefore shouldn't prevent a man from getting married.
In the original:
פרק יא - משנה יב: בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים, שָׁלשׁ נָשִׁים יוֹצְאוֹת וְנוֹטְלוֹת כְּתֻבָּה, הָאוֹמֶרֶת טְמֵאָה אֲנִי לְךָ, שָׁמַיִם בֵּינִי לְבֵינֶךָ, נְטוּלָה אֲנִי מִן הַיְּהוּדִים. חָזְרוּ לוֹמַר, שֶׁלֹּא תְהֵא אִשָּׁה נוֹתֶנֶת עֵינֶיהָ בְאַחֵר וּמְקַלְקֶלֶת עַל בַּעְלָהּ. אֶלָּא הָאוֹמֶרֶת טְמֵאָה אֲנִי לְךָ, תָּבִיא רְאָיָה לִדְבָרֶיהָ. שָׁמַיִם בֵּינִי לְבֵינֶךָ, יַעֲשׂוּ דֶרֶךְ בַּקָּשָׁה. נְטוּלָה אֲנִי מִן הַיְּהוּדִים, יָפֵר חֶלְקוֹ, וּתְהֵא מְשַׁמַּשְׁתּוֹ, וּתְהֵא נְטוּלָה מִן הַיְּהוּדִים:
ר"ע מברטנורה : הַשָּׁמַיִם בֵּינִי וּבֵינֶךָ. מְפָרֵשׁ בַּגְּמָרָא, דְּאֵינוֹ יוֹרֶה כַּחֵץ, כְּלוֹמַר דְּבָרִים דְּקָמֵי שְׁמַיָּא גַּלְיָא וְאֵינָהּ יְכוֹלָה לְבָרֵר. וּמַיְרֵי בְּבָאָה מֵחֲמַת טַעֲנָה, דְּאָמְרָה בָּעִינָא חוּטְרָא לְיָדָא וּמָרָא לִקְבוּרָה {מב}, דְּאִי לָאו הָכִי, אָמְרִינַן לַהּ זִילִי, לֹא מִפַּקְדַת אַפְּרִיָּה וּרְבִיָּה: יַעֲשׂוּ דֶרֶךְ בַּקָּשָׁה. יְבַקְשׁוּ מִמֶּנָּה שֶׁלֹּא תְדַבֵּר עוֹד בּוֹ. וּבַירוּשַׁלְמִי מְפָרֵשׁ יַעֲשׂוּ סְעוּדָה וִיפַיֵּס:
עיקר תוי"ט {מב} עֵץ שֶׁתִּשָּׁעֵן עָלָיו לְעֵת זִקְנָתָהּ וְאִם תָּמוּת יִקְבְּרֶנָּה. רַשִׁ"י
This doesn't address the issue of פְּצוּעַ דַּכָּא וּכְרוּת שָׁפְכָה - somebody whose has a physical blemish preventing him from impregnating his wife. Since you discuss a case where Viagra would solve the problem, I assume it's unrelated.
answered Oct 27, 2015 at 9:03
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+1 and most ED would be classified as a heavenly decreed sickness not a man made wound which would be a game changer for patzua daka and krus shafcha as well.– user6591Commented Oct 27, 2015 at 19:51
The Torah has rules against someone with clear damage to his reproductive anatomy marrying into the Jewish mainstream; some suggested this was in reaction to the common practice of having eunuchs.
Someone whose condition is improved by a medication that improves blood flow does not have the classical "clear damage to reproductive anatomy."
Other than that, if a married couple is happy with their physical arrangement, then good for them, whatever that may be. And if medication helps, great.
In conclusion -- not a problem. (Assuming a healthy, honest relationships between the spouses.)
Let's actually give this some more detail. The Talmud says that if a woman got married on the condition that the man not have some physical defect, and it turns out that he does but he can have it medically repaired and he's prepared to do so, then they are still married. So that should apply here.
