My question is whether or not the prohibition even applies to me?
I am 80 years old. I am widowed. I was married for 45 years. I have wonderful children and grandchildren. I have no interest in marrying again and even if I did it is physically unlikely that my spouse could conceive.

Thus, if you contend that this prohibition applies to me and my circumstances I would appreciate receiving explicit halachic authority (citations please) which proclaim that this prohibition applies to me AT MY AGE and under my specific circumstances.

I understand why it applies to the life cycle of maturing boys and unmarried younger men. However, I have found NO authority whatsoever of its application to men in my circumstances and at my stage of life as a widower. Perhaps because it no longer does apply to me?

I have fulfilled the required mitzvot of a man, in that regard. So I am reaching out to you for confirmation or clarification.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation and support.

What specific prohibition are you referring to? 

Masterbation.

May I humbly ask, Why are you here?

What are you asking? What isn't clear to you?

Generally speaking the Torah doesn't put an age limit into mitzvos. It doesn't say "vehaiu letotafos bein einechem ad shmonim shana" or something like that lol. It also says "ve lo sasuru acharei levavchem v'acharei einechem" and it doesn't specify an age.
I can hardly imagine any serious possek giving you a heter for lusting/masturbating.
Many here are single and young and do not masturbate.
Also, why not get married? I know a few 80 year olds who did. Doesn't mean you are gonna have kids at this age, actually I think it should be physically impossible, but why not get married? There should be many frum women in the same age range and situation as you are. The Torah also says Lo tov la adam she yihie levado or something like that. One of the few instances of lo tov in the Torah (if not the only), and again, it doesn't say ad shmonim shana. I.e. nobody should stay single.

Also, sex with the wife is a mitzva even if the wife cannot conceive for whatever reason. 

Snowflake wrote on 24 Sep 2020 18:12:

marci212 wrote on 24 Sep 2020 16:22:

What I mean is, it seems like you understand that there is something wrong with masturbating, are you not sure what the issur is? 

Are you here to stop?

If you are unaware of any issue, then I was wondering why you came here, if you are aware of an issue then I fail to grasp your explanation on how this does not apply to you.

Just so that we are clear, I gather from your first post that we are on different pages as far as this is concerned, the reason being, based on my understanding of the area, nothing that you have said applies. There is nothing wrong with that, it just shows that we are discussing two separate things.

I therefore ask you, what is it that you are here for, meaning please explain what your understanding is of the topic and perhaps someone here can explain whether it is the proper approach or not.

I would love to help if I can.

All the best,
Wilnevergiveup

The intent of this purely rabbinic prohibition is not clear from a reading of the commentary. It is easy to infer from it their posture to steer young unmarried men to marry and perpetuate the clan. Its purpose seems muddled and its  application is not age nor circumstance specific.

The prohibition is not aimed at eliminating sexual pleasure per se. Rather, the case they attempt to make is that ejaculation without divine purpose is wasteful. And yet, even that perspective is seriously flawed as in my circumstances. Indeed, taken to a logical conclusion, ejaculation with a paid sex worker would be as acceptable as ejaculation with an 80+ year old spouse whom I support-- both fulfilling a duty, a chore and neither resulting in pregnancy. Why, then, are oral sex, ha d sex and anal sex permissible yet defeat any possibility of pregnancy. Can a Male still,today, have multiple wives? And wives under 12 years old? Why not?

So tthings are not as blask and white as you imply.

Torah is divine. Hashem is fully capable of articulating abominations as He has deemed fit elsewhere. Oral Torah? Of course. But it's not divine. Its sole purpose is explanatory, not additive. Vague and extreme precepts (do not ever touch the penis even to urinate) do little to elucidate my circumstances.

I am searching for information relevant to my specific circumstances, not self fulfilling rationale. 

A few points I fail to grasp, please explain. 

Why do you think this prohibition is based on rational and limited to certain situations? 

Why do you think it is rabbinical as there are 3 references in the torah? 

Why can't a married guy masturbate halachically as well as live a normal married life? 

Do other prohibitions and mitzvos stop at certain ages or stages of life? For example, does a mourner not have to fast on the 9th of av because he is mourning anyway? 

My friend, stop kidding yourself. 
It's your yetzer hora trying to rationalise the sin. 
I'm sure that when you were younger there were plenty of other excuses as my yetzer hora tries to convince me too. 

Releasing sperm is an act which is designed by God to be used in a specific and holy way. Any manner other than in permitted time and form during marriage is abusing that gift from God and going against his will. 

Gemar chasima tova

P. S. To explain about other sex positions being permitted I'll briefly say that one primary feature of the act is to bring closeness to a couple and this act when done right could and should be very bonding. 

marci212 wrote on 23 Sep 2020 16:52:


Hi. Can you please quote the relevant sources that prohibit masturbation to unmarried men and married men.

HI,
The shulchan Aruch, Even Ha'ezer 23, spells out the prohibition of masturbating. He gives no hint whatsoever, that this prohibition is lifted when over a certain age. 
From the reading of Nidah 13a, it seems like this is a Torah prohibition not a rabbinic one. 
Seed is considered wasted, when it is done outside of regular intercourse. For a man to masturbate, is forbidden. Oral and anal sex, are questionable at best. One should avoid these too, as there is a serious question of wasting seed.
Regular intercourse done with a wife, is not considered as wasting seed. If the wife can not conceive, because she is past menopause, already pregnant, infertile, or for some other reason, there is no problem of wasting seed. as long as intercourse is performed normally.
Marrying more  than one wife is forbidden, as per the ban of R. Gershom, around 1,000 years ago. 

Sleeping with a prostitute is not considered as wasting seed. It is forbidden in it of itself, not because it is wasting seed. 

The Oral Torah is also divine. It is a body of law that elucidates, and occasionally adds to, what is written in the Torah, This was passed down orally from generation to generation for around 1,500 years before it was written down. Things found in the Oral Torah are just as divine, and carry just as much weight as what is found in the written Torah. 

Neither the Rambam, Tur, or shulchan Aruch in their discussion of wasting seed, give even the slightest indication that this is permitted once past a certain age.  

Yerushalmi

Was that for me?
I was asking mr marci

marci212,
I would be happy to attempt to answer your halacha questions offline, "private message" me if you are interested.

I may be wrong, but I don't think that this is the appropriate forum for your question (and perhaps this was the question of wilnevergiveup).

The GYE community is an online community of people who are struggling with pornography and masturbation and who want to stop. We come here with the operating assumption that our lives will be better if we can overcome the struggle and cut out the behavior. That is something that is shared across all demographics of this website whether we are single, married, divorced, widowed, young, old, Jewish or non-Jewish.

If you are not interested in stopping, I don't believe this is the right place for you.

The Gemara says that even as an old man one must marry and try to have more children Bec you never know which will be more successful.
So yes it applies to you.