Jewish views on homosexuality: Difference between revisions

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Homosexuality and Judaism’s history date back to Leviticus when male homosexual intercourse was on the same level as idolatry, requiring death. The historically prevalent view among Jews was to regard homosexual attractions and intercourse as “unnatural”, arguing that everyone is naturally heterosexual. Jewish movements that have accepted mainstream scientific findings on sexual orientation in the 20th Century that homosexuality is natural for some humans have thus argued that the Levitical denunciations of homosexual intercourse as “unnatural” only apply to those who are heterosexual since for homosexuals such intercourse is natural. Orthodox and Conservative Jews, located predominantly in Israel, see homosexuality as sinful while Reform and Reconstructionist, the majority of Jews outside Israel, regard it as moral and allow same-sex marriages.

Homosexuality in the Torah

The Torah (five books of Moses) is the primary source for Jewish views on homosexuality. It states that: "[A man] shall not lie with another man as [one would] with a woman, it is a to'eva" (Leviticus 18:22).

The term to'eva, is usually translated as "abomination". It has also been translated as a "mistaken act" since the Hebrew word to'e means "[making a] mistake", va "[about] it".

The Talmud suggests that this term can be understood as a contraction of the words to'eh hu va meaning he is wandering (from the path of righteousness) by doing this act.

Orthodox Judaism

General approach

Sexual intercourse between two men is forbidden by the Torah, as stated above, and is seen as being on the same level as incest and zoophilia, and makes it a capital offense. The Torah prohibition of Lo tikrevu legalot ervah ("You shall not come close to another person for the purpose of committing a sexual crime") forbids all other sexual acts which can lead to intercourse, and prescribes the punishment of lashes.

Homosexual acts between women (i.e. lesbianism) were forbidden by the rabbis on the basis of "Do not follow the ways of Egypt where you once lived, nor of Canaan, where I will be bringing you. Do not follow [any] of their customs." (Leviticus 18:3). The oral law (Sifra there, 8:8) mentions that one of those negative "ways", i.e. ingrained characteristics, was the marriage of women to each other, as well as a man to a woman and her daughter. The Talmud follows this view, forbidding lesbianism. Like all Rabbinical prohibitions, violation can incur 39 lashes. Female homosexuality is regarded as less serious than male homosexuality.

Although, under Judaism, it is very difficult to get a conviction that would lead to the prescribed punishment (and in any case nowadays such cases are not judged) the severity of the punishment indicates the seriousness with which the act is seen.

The Orthodox Jewish position is that a homosexual attraction is not inherently sinful, though it is regarded as "unnatural". However, someone who has had homosexual intercourse is seen to have allowed his "unnatural" attractions to get the better of him, and will be held accountable by God for his forbidden thoughts or actions. However, if he does teshuva (repentance), i.e. he ceases his forbidden actions, regrets what he has done, apologizes to God, and makes a binding resolution never to repeat those actions, he is seen to be forgiven by God (in a similar manner to the other capital crimes, except murder).

Reevaluation

In recent years a very small number of (mainly Modern Orthodox) rabbis and laypeople have begun re-evaluating homosexuality as a phenomenon, and the Orthodox community's response to homosexual Jews. Until recently it has been assumed that all homosexuals chose to engage in homosexual actions in order to spite God (le-hach'is), to be perverse, or due to mental illness. Familiarity with sociological and biological studies, as well as personal contact with Jewish homosexuals, has brought some Orthodox leaders to different viewpoints. This probably started as early as the 1970s. Up until this time, most Orthodox Jews understood homosexuals as people who choose to engage in homosexual acts as an act of perversion, or rebellion against God. This view is described in the original entry on Homosexuality penned by Rabbi Immanuel Jakobovits in the original release of the Encyclopedia Judaica (Keter Publishing). Jakobovits writes:

Jewish law [...] rejects the view that homosexuality is to be regarded merely as a disease or as morally neutral.... Jewish law holds that no hedonistic ethic, even if called "love", can justify the morality of homosexuality any more than it can legitimize adultery or incest, however genuinely such acts may be performed out of love and by mutual consent.

In the 1975 yearbook of the Encyclopedia, Rabbi Norman Lamm (of Yeshiva University, New York and a leader in Modern Orthodox Judaism), wrote something quite different. He was more familiar with the scientific and psychological research of the day (early 1970s) on homosexuality. As such, he invoked the principle of Jewish law termed ones, denoting an "accident" or event beyond one's control. In this way, homosexuality could be redefined as an act of perversion or heresy, and it would be wrong to persecute or judge homosexuals for their actions. The views represented in his 1975 article elaborated his views in earlier articles, mainly in the January/February edition of Jewish Life, 1968. Rabbi Lamm's views have, over the years, gained some foothold in Modern Orthodox Judaism, while being largely rejected by Haredi Orthodoxy. The Haredi community sees these recent reevaluations as manipulation of Jewish law for political purposes, and has not shown any signs of accepting homosexuality.

The discussion of homosexuality in the Jewish community has been accelerated since the release of a documentary, "Trembling Before G-d", directed and produced by Sandi Simcha DuBowski, which sympathetically examines the lives of homosexual men and women in the Orthodox Jewish community. (DuBowski is as of 2004 producing In the Name of Allah, a film about Islam and homosexuality.)

Other viewpoints are:

"Compassion, sympathy, empathy, understanding - these are essential elements of Judaism. They are what homosexual Jews who care about Judaism need from us today." Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth (United Kingdom)
Chaim Rapoport has written Judaism and Homosexuality: An Authentic Orthodox View, he is Rabbi of London’s Ilford United Synagogue and a member of the cabinet of the Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom.
Edah, a modern Orthodox advocacy group, has decided to hold public meetings on this topic for the Orthodox Jewish community.

Conservative/Masorti Judaism

In the Conservative Jewish community, the scholars on the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards (CJLS) makes decisions on Jewish law. In 1992 the CJLS accepted four teshuvot (responsa) on homosexuality; these were used as backing sources for a unified consensus position. The consensus position is that given the current scientific, psychological and biological information on the origin and nature of homosexuality, homosexual relationships can not be judged to be in accord with Halakha (Jewish law). Some of the responsa note that future information on this subject may be sufficient to utilize lenient views and potential legal novellae; therefore the law committee holds the right to re-evaluate this area at a future date.

The "CJLS Consensus Statement of Policy Regarding Homosexual Jews in the Conservative Movement" approved March 25, 1992, reads as follows:

(A) We will not perform commitment ceremonies for gays and lesbians.

(B) We will not knowingly admit avowed homosexuals to our rabbinical and cantorial schools, or the Rabbinical Assembly or Cantors' Assembly. At the same time, we will not instigate witch-hunts against those who are already members or students.

(C) Whether homosexuals may function as teachers or youth leaders in our congregations and schools will be left to the Rabbi authorized to make halakhic decisions for a given institution in the Conservative movement. Presumably, in this as in all other matters, the rabbi will make such decisions taking into account the sensitivities of the people of his or her congregation or school. The rabbi's own reading of Jewish law on these issues, informed by the responsa written for the CJLS to date, will also be a determinative factor in these decisions.

(D) Similarly, the rabbi of each Conservative institution, in consultation with its lay leaders, will be entrusted to formulate policies regarding the eligibility of homosexuals for honors within worship and lay leadership positions.

(E) In any case, in accordance with the Rabbinical Assembly and United Synagogue Resolutions we are hereby affirming gays and lesbians are welcome in our congregations, youth groups, camps and schools.

However, a significant minority of Conservative Jews, including a growing number of its rabbis, believe that one may change the Jewish position on homosexuality within the halakhic process. Advocates of this view include Rabbis Elliot N. Dorff, Harold M. Schulweis, Jacob Neusner, Bradley Shavit Artson, Ayelet Cohen, J. Rolando Matalon, Marcelo R. Bronstein, Simchah Roth, Leonard Gordon and Joel Alter.

The Rabbinical Assembly has issued a position paper stating that the Divine image is reflected by every human being, of any sexual orientation, and admits that there is good reason to be concerned about the fact that gay and lesbian Jews have experienced not only the constant threats of physical violence and homophobic rejection, but also the pains of anti-Semitism. They note that homosexuals are members of all Jewish congregations, and that the AIDS crisis has exacerbated the anxiety and suffering of homosexual Jews. In conclusion, the Rabbinical Assembly states:

We, the Rabbinical Assembly, while affirming our tradition's prescription for heterosexuality,

1) Support full civil equality for gays and lesbians in our national life, and

2) Deplore the violence against gays and lesbians in our society, and

3) Reiterate that, as are all Jews, gay men and lesbians are welcome as members in our congregations, and

4) Call upon our synagogues and the arms of our movement to increase our awareness, understanding and concern for our fellow Jews who are gay and lesbian.

Although the official position of the Conservative movement is that homosexual relations are a violation of Jewish law, the movement generally views this violation as no less or more serious that other violations of Jewish law that most of its members may violate, such as spending money on Shabbat (the Sabbath) or eating non-kosher food. As such, there is no logical reason to view homosexuality as any different from the behavior of any other Jew that isn't fully observant of Jewish law and tradition. As such, the Rabbinical Assembly's Commission on Human Sexuality recommends discussed ways to mainstream homosexual Jews into congregations in the movement's pastoral letter on all aspects of human sexuality: "This Is My Beloved, This Is My Friend: A Rabbinic Letter on Intimate Relations". The Rabbinical Assembly recommends that:

1. Synagogue groups might meet with gay and lesbian Jews to put a face to this issue and to learn how the synagogue can be more welcoming. The goal would be to warm synagogue members to the fact that Jewish gays, lesbians and their families are not an outside group but are part of our own community and should be treated as such.

2. In those instances where synagogues have programs for special constituencies within the congregation, such programs might be created for gay and lesbian Jews and their families as well. So, for example, information about support groups such as Parents and Friends of Lesbians and gays (PFLAG) can be disseminated through the synagogue media, and the synagogue might host such a group. Gays and lesbians, though, should generally be integrated into the ongoing activities of the congregation.

3. Synagogue and school educators might include, as part of the curriculum, a section on sexuality, and within this, some material on homosexuality....In such courses it should be made clear that sexual activity, while an important part of everyone's life, is not the whole of it. One consequence of this is that Jewish homosexuals, like Jewish heterosexuals, should not be seen narrowly as people who engage in certain kinds of sexual practices, but rather as people and Jews, with the full range of interactions that people and Jews have with each other.

4. Conservative synagogues, individually, regionally and nationally, might organize social action programs to advance the civil protections of gays and lesbians.

Reform Judaism

The Reform Judaism movement, the largest branch of Judaism in North America, has rejected the traditional view in all areas relating to this issue; they view all restrictions on homosexuality as null and void. As such, they do not prohibit ordination of gays and lesbians as rabbis and cantors. Because many Reform Jews do not consider the Torah to be literal, the passages that pertain to homosexuality are seen in the wider context. The law is sometimes seen to be referring to prostitution, making it a stand against Jews adopting the idolatrous fertility cults and practices of the neighbouring Canaanite nations rather than a blanket condemnation of same-sex orientation. Reform authorities consider that, in light of what is seen as current scientific evidence about the nature of homosexuality as a biological sexual orientation, a new interpretation of the law is required.

In the late 1980s the primary seminary of the Reform movement, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, changed its admission requirements to allow gays to join the student body. In 1990 Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) officially endorsed a report of their committee on homosexuality and rabbis. They concluded that "all rabbis, regardless of sexual orientation, be accorded the opportunity to fulfill the sacred vocation that they have chosen" and that "all Jews are religiously equal regardless of their sexual orientation."

In 1996 CCAR passed a resolution of civil marriage. However, this same resolution made a distinction between civil marriages and religious marriages; this resolution thus stated:

However we may understand homosexuality, whether as an illness, as a genetically based dysfunction or as a sexual preference and lifestyle - we cannot accommodate the relationship of two homosexuals as a "marriage" within the context of Judaism, for none of the elements of qiddushin (sanctification) normally associated with marriage can be invoked for this relationship.

In 1998, an ad hoc CCAR committee on Human Sexuality issues its majority report (11 to 1, 1 abstention) which stated that the holiness within a Jewish marriage "may be present in committed same gender relationships between two Jews and that these relationships can serve as the foundation of stable Jewish families, thus adding strength to the Jewish community." The report called for CCAR to support rabbis in officiating at gay marriages. Also in 1998, the Responsa Committee of the CCAR issued a lengthy teshuvah (rabbinical opinion)[1] that offered detailed argumentation in support of both sides of the question whether a rabbi may officiate at a commitment ceremony for a same-gender couple.

In March 2000 CCAR issued a new resolution stating that "We do hereby resolve that, that the relationship of a Jewish, same gender couple is worthy of affirmation through appropriate Jewish ritual, and further resolved, that we recognize the diversity of opinions within our ranks on this issue. We support the decision of those who choose to officiate at rituals of union for same-gender couples, and we support the decision of those who do not."

As of 2005 the position of Reform Judaism on homosexuality is:

Facilitating same-sex marriage religious ceremonies
Ordaining gay men and lesbians as clergy

Reconstructionist Judaism

The Reconstructionist movement has rejected the traditional view in all areas relating to this issue; they view all restrictions on homosexuality as null and void. As such, they ordain homosexual Jews as rabbis and cantors. The Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association (RRA) permits Jewish homosexual marriages and homosexual intermarriages.

Homoeroticism in the Bible

Despite the traditional Jewish outlook on homosexuality, many have speculated that particularly the relationship between David and Jonathan might have been homosexual. Great emphasis is placed on David's youth an beauty, and on the reaction that Saul and Jonathan have in response to his beauty. Another example is David's comment about Jonathan: "Very pleasant has thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of woman" (II Samuel 1:26). Nevertheless, there is no mention of sexual contact, and they might simply have been employing similar idiom to describe their friendship.

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+'''Homosexuality and Judaism’s''' history date back to [[Leviticus]] when male [[homosexual]] intercourse was on the same level as [[idolatry]], requiring death.  The historically prevalent view among Jews was to regard homosexual attractions and intercourse as “unnatural”, arguing that everyone is naturally [[heterosexual]].  Jewish movements that have accepted mainstream [[science|scientific]] findings on [[sexual orientation]] in the [[20th Century]] that homosexuality is natural for some humans have thus argued that the Levitical denunciations of homosexual intercourse as “unnatural” only apply to those who are heterosexual since for homosexuals such intercourse is natural.  [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] and [[Conservative Judaism|Conservative Jews]], located predominantly in [[Israel]], see homosexuality as sinful while [[Reform Judaism|Reform]] and [[Reconstructionist Judaism|Reconstructionist]], the majority of Jews outside Israel, regard it as moral and allow [[same-sex marriage|same-sex marriages]].
-While it is true that the historically prevalent view among Jews was to regard male homosexual intercourse as sinful, requiring death, on the same level as idolatry, it is likewise true that they did not have the concept of a homosexual orientation, only that of a universal heterosexual orientation. Within the Torah all the references to homosexual intercourse always take the context of either bisexuality and having more than one partner as in Sodom and Gomorrah or of heterosexuals having homosexual intercourse out of their nature.
-The ramifications of Jewish thought among those who believe the scriptures were divinely inspired have led some who accept the natural existence of a homosexual orientation to regard same-sex relationships as moral since the doctrines did condemn acting against one's nature (homosexuals are naturally attracted to the same sex, therefore to force them into heterosexual intercourse against their nature is sinful) and did not speak of a homosexual orientation. Those who believe homosexuality is sinful believe the passages condemning homosexual intercourse are relevant to all persons since everyone is naturally heterosexual, thus rejecting mainstream scientific belief on the matter and is called upon to abide commandments to abstain from whatever “unnatural” sinful inclinations the flesh may produce. The majority of Jews outside of Israel tend to view homosexuality as moral, facilitating same-sex marriages, while the majority of Jews inside Israel see it in a sinful light.
 ==Homosexuality in the Torah==