Nearly a year ago, a frantic phone call reached the office of Rabbi Yigal Cohen, head of the Yabia Omer institutions and member of Israel's Chief Rabbinate Council. A woman, pregnant with triplets, had just received unequivocal medical advice: selectively reduce two of the embryos to protect her health and give the remaining fetus a better chance of survival.
The couple faced an impossible choice. Medical professionals painted a grim picture of the risks associated with carrying all three babies to term. But the woman, deeply troubled by the prospect of terminating any part of her pregnancy, turned to Rabbi Cohen for guidance on what Jewish law and faith demanded in such a harrowing situation.
Rabbi Cohen, known for his work in outreach and his compassionate approach to complex halachic questions, immediately launched into action alongside his personal assistant, Shimon Bardy. The rabbi consulted with leading medical specialists and fertility experts, cross-referencing the clinical data with halachic precedent. After thorough investigation, he delivered his ruling: the pregnancy would continue intact. All three babies would be given their chance at life.








