What is the Jewish view on selling one's body parts for money? Selling organs in the U.S. is illegal and would therefore fall under the prohibition of dina d'malchuta dina, but what about selling eggs, sperm, hair, or being a maternal surrogate when primarily motivated by cash rather than to do a mitzvah?

Jewish tradition views the human body and life itself as gifts from God, and thus demands that we protect ourselves from all harm.  (Exceptions are made in the case of saving another life.)  The selling of hair or even blood (which you do not mention in your question but which naturally presents itself in this context) for legitimate purposes presents no threat of harm: the body easily and relatively quickly replaces these products.  As Rabbi Bulka suggests, a donation, constituting a greater mitzvah, would be preferable, but there is no objection to the sale of hair, blood, or mother’s milk, which would also fall into this category.[1]

The questions of whether to sell eggs, sperm, or the use of one’s uterus (i.e., to become a maternal surrogate), are of an entirely different order as these pertain to the creation of a human life. They therefore raise an additional layer of questions vis-a-vis the relationship of the paid donor to the child(ren) that might result following the transaction.  Nevertheless, Reform responsa generally allow for these sorts of arrangements for the sake of helping a couple who desire to have a child, especially in the case of a Jewish couple who are traditionally obligated to “be fruitful and multiply.”  This would seem to be so regardless of the motivations of the donor (assuming the donor approaches the transaction honestly and honorably).  As a friend of mine likes to say, “ ‘It’s the thought that counts’ is not a very Jewish idea.”

Sperm donation presents the simplest case, since both the procedure involved and the relationship between donor and recipient is minimal.  Egg donation is more complicated because donation requires a more significant investment of time, sometimes travel, submission to medical intervention, and physical discomfort, raising the question of harm.  Furthermore, the long-term effects of egg harvesting on donors is not yet known.  Regarding surrogacy, which presents the most difficult ethical questions because of heightened risks of economic exploitation, emotional trauma, physical injury, and compromised human dignity, the Reform responsum “give [surrogacy] our hesitant approval as we await ‘further clarification of medical and civil legal issues.’ We caution in the strongest terms that the parties involved must not enter into a surrogacy agreement without much careful thought and counseling concerning its attendant medical, legal and psychological risks.”[2] 

In all of these cases, Reform Judaism is also concerned that the donor may be motivated by economic desperation, and would hold the community responsible for helping such individuals rather than encouraging the sale of human biological products.