Question
What is Torah’s view about human cloning?
Answer
It is forbidden to perform experiments on human subjects that could endanger them or others. To the best of my knowledge, at this time it is unclear as to whether babies born of cloning can be healthy and live a normal life-span. Animal experiments to this point have been inconclusive and most offspring of cloning have not survived. A colleague of mine who has written on the subject believes that even if in the future the procedure becomes safe, producing offspring in this way in cases where other alternatives are available would be prohibited. This because of the affront to human dignity involved.
