Motzi Zera Levatalah

“Seed” (זרע) is a euphemism for sperm. The following article discusses the topic of the destruction of זרע and the ramifications of doing so.

Onan and Er were sons of Yehudah. Hashem was angry at them for wasting their seed during their levirate marriages. Hashem killed both of them.

Kitzur Shulchan Aruch Chapter 151 is dedicated to explaining to Sin of Wasting Seed. This chapter of Kitzur covers all of the relevant information pertaining to this topic and is an excellent source of information on the topic of this sin.

The Three Cardinal Sins are Idolatry”, Murder, and Adultery. These are the sins were it’s better to take one’s life than to do. Wasting seed is a combination of all three of these sins. It is akin to idolatry (many idol sacrifices involved bodily fluids), it involves wasting potential life, and it is sexually immoral. “For many were the evil of man… they committed every possible act of evil, however their (generation of flood) fate was not sealed until they threw their blood down on the floor. What is the meaning of this, they would spill their seed on the ground” -Zohar commentary on Breishith. “Spilling seed is more severe than all sins, since he defiles his soul in this world and the world to come and he does not see the glory of the שכינה” -Zohar commentary on Parshas Vyeshev. Near the beginning of the second chapter of Talmud Niddah, Rabbi Yochanan spoke up and said “All those who waste seed are punishable by death”, Rav Ami said: “It is as if he sheds blood”, and Rav Ashi says “It is as if he worships strange deities”. The beginning of this Mishna says that a man who commits this sin should be cut off…Pirkei Avot says that one who violates his Britt (ברית) has no share in the world to come.

One who wastes seed has bad luck. Many people do things for good luck. Do you know what “Mazal” (מזל) is a remez (hint) towards? Motzi Zera Levetalah (מוציא זרע לבטלה). The luck is in the seed. Therefor, wasting seed takes away your luck. Those who sow their seed in vain will reap in their wastefulness during his lifetime and also in the next world unless he does Teshuvah on this.

One who wastes seed will be miserable in the long-run. Their wives will be loose amounts of loyalty and respectful towards for their husbands, they and their children will have a difficult time understanding HaShem’s teachings, and they will not have a share in the world to come. If one’s Neshamah isn’t pure enough to go upwards, then it will fall downwards. Since a man who wastes seed doesn’t have a share in the world to come, they will be falling endlessly in a bottomless pit in Gehinom. They will be in Gehinom forever unless they do Teshuvah (repentance).

When a man wastes seed, it is perhaps like an unjustifiable abortion, the child hasn’t learned how to defend themselves against the darker spiritual forces that exists in this world. Thus, the wasted seed are taken by the evil forces. These forces will cause the taken seed to speak against the man who would have been their father. Thus, making it even harder for the farther to do Teshuvah. They will tempts him towards evil and testify against him. If this sin can cause someone to loose his share in the world to come.

Doing Teshuvah for this sin is a important for anyone who does it. There’s many methods to do so including לימוד התורה as well as giving צדקה. The general theme of זרע לבטלה is the nature of selfishness. This sin is the epitome of selfishness. Thus, over-coming this sin is to be involved with acts of selflessness.

One who can overcome the sin of wasting seed is rewarded with great things. Those who give into every sexual urge will have spiritual deficiencies. That’s probably why there’s many smart people with a low sex drive. If you over come the sin of wasting seed, you will do better and so will your future children.

Yosef was a צדיק because he guarded his ברית. This means he that did not waste seed. He abstained from sexual relations with Potifar – the wife of his slave master. Yosef became a very powerful person in the Egyptian Empire because he did not voluntarily waste seed. After he died, it was his bones that caused the sea to split! His sons, Ephraim and Menashe, were very wonderful people who had many descendants of their own; they owned more amounts of land than the other tribes.

However, Yosef did experience an involuntary premature emission which caused him to loose 10 potential offspring. Had he not lost them, he would have had 12 sons, and the Chosen Nation would have all been from Yosef himself. Thus, from our tradition, we can see the importance not wasting seed.

The ברית is the covenant that Hashem gave to Noah Ha-Tzaddik (Covenant of Peace), but established another one with Avraham Avinu (Eternal Covenant) sealed through the flesh of a human male (via circumcision) as part of the bond between HaShem and His people. When we pray for the In-Gathering of Exiles, we should pray not only for the lost Jews in this world but for the return all of Aam Yisrael to Eretz Yisrael including the lost seed! This is why some Siddurim mention Zera in the add-on to the Prayer of the In-Gathering…The holy name of God (via the letters Beit, Vav, and Khet) are found in a similar order in this particular prayer.

We should focus on every Jewish soul that ever lived, is living, and will live. This includes the seed of all Jewish souls including those who aren’t here yet including those who weren’t able to be born.

While some sfarim talk about Teshuvah MeYirah (Repentance from Fear of Hashem), some talk about Teshuvah MeAhavah (Repentance from a Love of Hashem). Teshuvah MeYirah does notwork for this because the only way to do Teshuvah, for this sin, is to have a sincere desire to connect to Hashem. This is the essence of Teshuvah MeAhavah.