Using Technology to Improve Human Beings

The Aish Rabbi Replies

It’s certainly a fascinating issue. Of course, there are no classical sources which address such recent technological advances, but a few relevant sources do come to mind.

The Torah forbids creating new plant and animal species through such acts as grafting and cross-breeding (of entirely different species). (See Leviticus 19:19, Deut. 22:9-10). The generic word for the “mixtures” resulting from such activities is kilayim. Nachmanides (Ramban; Levit. 19:19) explains that the reason for this prohibition is because we should not attempt to improve on creation. God created all the species of plants and animals required for the world’s proper function – and gave them the ability to reproduce. The natural world, as God created it, is perfect. We can develop and improve it in many ways, but we must not attempt to create entirely new species not provided by the Creator.

In a similar vein, each of us should accept ourselves the way God created us. God gave us many shortcomings and limitations for a good reason: in order to make our lives challenging and grant us the opportunity to grow and improve – as well as to keep us humble. And this is truly what life is all about. We therefore shouldn’t be attempting to create “perfect” humans who have no drawbacks and limitations. God Himself could have easily created “better” human beings – bigger, smarter, stronger, healthier, nicer, better looking, etc. But He purposely created us as He did – with many spiritual, physical and intellectual weaknesses – in fact every single human being having his own particular set of deficiencies – so that we would have to struggle in life to overcome our many shortcomings. We would have to deal with bad character traits, intellectual limitations, poor memories, insecurities, lusts, health problems, etc. Our purpose in life is learning to overcome challenges and grow from the experience – rather than attempting to “reprogram” human beings into better creations.

Another interesting passage from the Talmud comes to mind (Ta’anis 23b). There was once a great mystic named R’ Yitzchak ben Elyashiv who achieved the ability to control nature. One time, his student complained that he did not find his wife attractive. The rabbi willed it that she become beautiful. Not long after, the student complained that his wife had become too conceited because of her looks and his marriage had become unbearable – and the rabbi had her return to her homeliness.

On a different occasion, the same student complained that his wife’s relatives, who were wealthy, tormented him through their condescending behavior. His teacher had them become poor. Not long after, the student complained that because of their newfound poverty they were pressuring him for financial help – and the rabbi had them become rich again.

Shortly after that – and not at all surprisingly – the great rabbi ceased helping people in such a supernatural manner. (He actually claimed he had lost the ability to do so, but some explain that he recognized that it was simply not proper – nor even beneficial.) It was clear that even with all of man’s shortcomings and difficulties, it is best to accept the will of God and not attempt to tinker with His creation. Of course, we can pray for God’s help – one of the reasons He gives us difficulties – and use natural means of improving our lot – such as looking for a better and more lucrative source of livelihood. But it is not upon us to attempt to fundamentally alter the world’s basic creation.

A related area of Jewish law, which has generated much scholarly discussion in recent decades, is the topic of plastic surgery. This too is arguably a means of improving a person’s creation – going against the natural forces God placed in the world. It actually additionally involves a more specific prohibition – of wounding oneself, which can only be done for constructive purpose (see Leviticus 19:28, 21:5). Very roughly, the consensus of recent authorities is that plastic surgery is permitted to correct a deficiency – such as to repair one’s flesh after an injury or repair a birth defect – but not just for the sake of enhancing one’s appearance – in order to look younger or prettier. (See here for a lengthy treatment of this topic, and see here as well.) There are clearly borderline situations – say a person’s large Jewish nose causes him considerable mental anguish or makes it difficult for him to find a spouse. But the basic thrust of Jewish law in this somewhat related area is that we can use modern technology to heal ourselves and correct flaws, but not just for the sake of creating better human beings. For we accept that our perfect God might not have created us perfect, but He created us in a manner perfect for us – enabling us to live the most meaningful, productive life possible.