Gender & Sexuality
Prohibited Sexual Relationships
The Bible--concerned with sanctity in all aspects of life--prohibits incest, adultery, and a number of other sexual relationships.
Homosexuality, Choice, and Jewish Law
If homosexuality is not chosen, then there is precedent in Jewish law for condoning it.
The Reality of Sex Outside Marriage
Non-marital sex is not ideal, but that doesn't mean Judaism has nothing to say about it.
Traditional Sources on Sexual Pleasure
Some classical Jewish statements about sex might surprise you.
Rejecting Halakhah
Some Jewish thinkers condone homosexuality, despite the condemnation of homosexual sex in Jewish law.
New Possibilities in Jewish Sexuality
Judaism may need new categories of sexual relationships in order to adjust to the reality of sex outside marriage.
Tradition and Compassion
Some traditional Jewish authorities condemn homosexuality, while advocating compassion for individual gays and lesbians.
Female Homosexuality in Judaism
The Torah does not address lesbianism, but later rabbinic commentators frowned upon it.
Traditional Sources on Sex Outside Marriage
While the Torah does not forbid premarital sex, the rabbis of the talmudic era prohibited it--but one modern authority proposed a sanctioned form of exclusive sexual relationship outside of marriage.
Sex Outside Marriage: Modern Rabbinic Views
A selection of statements from rabbis of various denominations.