Shulchan Arukh Even HaEzer · Siman 23

Shulchan Arukh Even HaEzer 23 — English translation

Translation: Sefaria Community Translation. Section numbers match the Hebrew text above.

1. 1It is prohibited to spill seed needlessly and this sin is more severe than all Torah transgressions. For this reason a man should not thresh inside and sprinkle [his semen] outside [of a woman], and he should not marry a girl who is unable to have children.
2. 2Those who 'commit adultery' with their hand and thereby cause semen to be spilled it is not enough that this is a great prohibition, but one who does so should sit in excommunication and about them it is said "Their hands are full of blood" and it is as if they have killed a person.
3. 3It is forbidden for a man intentionally make himself have an erection or to cause himself to think about sex. Rather if he thinks about sex he should remove himself from vain things and go to the words of Torah which is like a beloved doe and a graceful deer. Therefore it is forbidden for someone to sleep on their back with his face up, rather he should lean to the side so that he doesn't come to have an erection. And he shouldn't look at a beast or a wild animal or bird when the male and females are copulating. But it is permitted for those who bring animals to mate to 'put the applicator in the tube' because that is their work and it won't cause them to have sexual thoughts.
4. 4It is forbidden for a man who is not married to touch his private parts so that he doesn't come to have a sexual thought. And he may not even touch anywhere under his belly button lest he have a sexual thought. And when he urinates he should not hold his member and urinate. But if he is married this is permitted. And whether married or unmarried he shouldn't put his hand on his member at all except when he must relieve himself (see Orach Chaim 3).
5. 5A woman who has some sort of closure in her womb and therefore when her husband has relations with her he sprinkles outside, this is prohibited (but it is permitted to have relations with a minor or an aylonit since this is the way of the land) (Tosafot and the Mordecai ch. 1 Yevamot, and Nimukei Yosef on the chapter [entitled] Haba al Yevamto).
6. 6It is prohibited to ride on a beast without a saddle. Hagah: In the Talmud in the chapter [entitled] Kol Hayad, it seems that it is forbidden to wear pants unless they are made like thigh holds for this will bring him to spill his seed. And even though we could reject this proof and say that this refers only to those days when they had terumah and we had to be concerned about defiling the body, in any case since the Rosh cited this in his rulings, it seems that this is still prohibited today. And that which they were accustomed to permit this in the bathhouse it is possible to say that for a short time this is permitted, this is what seems to be true to me. Furthermore, in the Talmud they forbade one to wash with his father or brother or mother's husband or sister's husband. But now they are accustomed to allow this since they cover their genitals in the bathhouse, we need not be concerned about sexual thoughts (Agudah).
7. 7Among the early pietists and great scholars was one that took pride in never having looked at the place where he had been circumcised, and one that took pride in never having contemplated on his wife's figure, as his mind would turn away from vain things to true matters which grasp the hearts of the holy ones.

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