The Biblical and Talmudic secret for choosing one's baby's sex

Isr J Med Sci. 1979 Sep;15(9):784-7.

Abstract

The Biblical verse "If a woman emits semen and bears a manchild" (Leviticus 12:2) is interpreted by the Talmudic Sages and more recent Jewish sources to mean that if a woman emits her "semen" first, she will bear a male child but if the man emits his semen first, she will bear a female child. The Sages of the Talmud thus claimed to have known the secret of determining one's baby's sex. However, whether "emitting one's semen first" refers to orgasm, ovulation, both or neither, is not clear.

MeSH terms

  • Bible*
  • Female
  • Genetic Engineering*
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Israel
  • Judaism*
  • Pregnancy
  • Religion and Medicine*
  • Sex Preselection*