How is it possible that a beraitha allows coriander to be used for an eiruv, even with the remote possibility of infertility? Is this not a biblical prohibition, regardless of how many children one has?
Daniel Ettedgui, Boca Raton, USA
The biblical prohibition is not that it is forbidden to eat something that may lessen a man's semen. It is that it is forbidden to eat something that will effectively make him unable to have children. There are many foods (and circumstances) that have an effect of decreasing production of semen, such as coriander. It is not prohibited to eat these foods, as they do not cause a person not to have children, but rather lessen his chances of being able to have a child. Accordingly, they should be avoided by people who want to have children, but are not included in the Torah's prohibition.
All the best,
Yaakov Montrose