New America
5. Really, Really Kosher Sex

There are changes in the wind. Some people may be happy,
some may be unhappy. Let's go directly to the Talmud to see its laws on
some social concerns.

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Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, Orthodox Hasidic, and author
of Kosher Sex: A Recipe for Passion and Intimacy. On page
69, Rabbi Boteach recommends the Christian missionary position!

"Jewish sensual laws
revolve around a constant attempt to promote and sustain emotional
intimacy of married couples through physical intimacy. We can immediately
and intuitively appreciate how the missionary position leads to this
closeness and familiarity. In no other sexual position do we see a meeting
of the mouths accompanied by a full integration of all the limbs. Not only
are husband and wife locked together in the genital region, but they
coalesce in their totality so that even in appearance they become as one.
The missionary position allows us to experience something that is
quintessentially human." — Rabbi Boteach (2)

Wherein does Rabbi Boteach's advice differ from that of your local parish
priest?

"Sex is the holiest human experience, the highest form of
knowledge." — Shmuley Boteach, Judaism for Everyone (dust
jacket)

"He talks
brilliantly, nine times faster than is quite normal … he puffs on a giant
cigar as secretaries run in and out with messages from newspapers around
the world." — The Evening Standard (19)

"The
rabbis made female orgasm an obligation incumbent on every Jewish husband.
No man was allowed to use a woman merely for his own gratification." —
Rabbi Boteach (1)

Do YOU know the difference between Mishnah and Gemara?

In any field of study, the
internal logic of the subject and the terms — the nomenclature — are of
utmost importance. This is true of the Talmud, too. Critical Words
of Talmud Study is a must read. Let the rabbis educate
you.

Fish?

… a man may do whatever he
pleases with his wife [at intercourse]: A parable; Meat which comes from
the abattoir, may be eaten salted, roasted, cooked or seethed; so with
fish from the fishmonger. — Nedarim
20b

Wherein does it differ?

Using a gentle euphemism for
anal intercourse, the Talmud Sages relate that:

A woman once came before
Rabbi and said, 'Rabbi! I set a table before my husband, but he overturned
it.' Rabbi replied: 'My daughter! the Torah hath permitted thee to him —
what then can I do for thee?'

A woman once came before Rab
and complained. 'Rabbi! I set a table before my husband, but he overturned
it.' Rab replied; Wherein does it differ from a fish? — Nedarim
20b

See above for an
explanation of the rabbi's remark.

Ancient Classic

"Sexual frankness without a
hint of guilt or prurience is the great legacy which the Eastern, and in
particular Indian, traditions have given us. As an expression of human
culture, and as a pillow book for the modern boudoir, the Kama Sutra of
Vatsyayana the most famous work on sex ever written the Ananga-Ranga of
Kalyana Malla, and Sheikh Nefzai's Perfumed Garden, set forth the
principles of sensual pleasure with poetry, wisdom, and humor, celebrating
love as an ecstatic expression of life's beauty." — publisher's editorial
review

Move over Kama
Sutra, here comes the Talmud.

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach is author of Kosher
Sex.

"Kosher
Sex will change how you view discuss, and approach sex. With humor,
sensitivity, respect, and honesty, Rabbi Boteach touches on all the modern
questions concerning this eternally interesting topic." — Kosher Sex dust
jacket.

Rabbi Dr. Isidore Epstein, editor of the Soncino
Talmud, writes:

"Whilst
prizing chastity above all other virtues, they refused to ascribe anything
degrading to the marital union per se. Prenuptial connections,
whether in the case of men or women, they did truly condemn. Not only was
harlotry prohibited by them on the basis of Biblical commands (Lev. XIX,
29, and Deut. XXIII, 18), but they even went so far as to forbid the
private association of sexes. Yet the regulated sexual relations between
husband and wife were raised to the dignity of a positive command. Thus it
is the unmarried man who was said by them to live in unchastity — at least
in the inescapable unchastity of thought if not of action; whereas the
married man alone could live in purity. No wonder that they regarded
marriage as a holy state, entrance into which carried with it forgiveness
of sins. For this reason they encouraged early marriage, declaring
eighteen to be the ideal age, although realists as they were, they
insisted on a man being in a position to provide for a wife before
venturing into matrimony." — Rabbi Dr. Epstein (4)

The late Dr. Joseph Herman Hertz, the Very Reverend
the Chief Rabbi of the British Empire, writes:

"A conclusive proof of woman's
dominating place in Jewish life is the undeniable fact, that the hallowing
of the Jewish home was her work; and that the laws of chastity were
observed in that home, both by men and women, with a scrupulousness that
has hardly ever been equalled. The Sages duly recognized her wonderful
spiritual influence, and nothing could surpass the delicacy with which
respect for her is inculcated: 'Love thy wife as thyself, and honour her
more than thyself. Be careful not to cause woman to weep, for God counts
her tears. Israel was redeemed from Egypt on account of the virtue of its
women. He who weds a good woman, it is as if he had fulfilled all the
precepts of the Torah' (Talmud)." — Rabbi Dr. Hertz (5)

Talmudic Discussion by Mark Gertler (12)

"Long ago, well before
Christianity enacted legislation forbidding its clerics from marrying or
having sex, the ancient rabbis were giving explicit sexual advice to
married men and women as to how they could enjoy pleasurable yet holy
intimate relations." — Rabbi Boteach (1)

Nevertheless, Rabbi Boteach's
efforts to enliven America's married sex life seem doomed to failure. The
Sages of the Talmud do not foresee a bright future for legitimate sexual
relations:

Rab Judah
said in Rab's name: A man once conceived a passion for a certain woman,
and his heart was consumed by his burning desire [his life being
endangered thereby]. When the doctors were consulted, they said, 'His only
cure is that she shall submit.' Thereupon the Sages said: 'Let him die
rather than that she should yield.' Then [said the doctors]; 'let her
stand nude before him;' [they answered] 'sooner let him die'. 'Then', said
the doctors, 'let her converse with him from behind a fence'. 'Let him
die,' the Sages replied 'rather than she should converse with him from
behind a fence.' … Then why not marry her? — Marriage would not assuage
his passion, even as R. Isaac said: Since the destruction of the Temple,
sexual pleasure has been taken [from those who practise it lawfully] and
given to sinners, as it is written, Stolen waters are sweet, and bread
eaten in secret is pleasant. — Sanhedrin
75a

(Quoting Proverbs
9:17)

Animals such as these — not these in particular of
course, but possibly their relatives — sometimes enticed Jews to commit
unnatural acts with them. Perhaps as a lesson to others in the herd not to
follow their example, or perhaps to save other men from being enticed to
crime — the beast was stoned. At least, sometimes it was considered a
crime under certain circumstances, and some of the ancient Sages
considered it always a crime — at least for men, if not for women — if
there were two witnesses and both warned the sodomite before his/her
act.

Babylonian Talmud. Put all prejudice aside. We have
3.5 million words of the Talmud on line. Now you can read this classic
work in context. Do your own research using the

Come and Hear™ Search Engine.

"… the Talmud is one of the
wonders of the world … It still dominates the minds of a whole
people, who venerate its contents as divine truth …" — Rabbi Michael
L. Rodkinson

Dr. Peter Singer, who is Jewish ("My mother and
father, who were also Jewish of course …"(9)), is
Professor of Ethics in the Center of Human Values at Princeton University.
In 2001, he published a review of a book on the subject of bestiality. (10) In
that review (published by Nerve.com), he calls bestiality "the last
taboo." Since that time, controversy has swirled around Singer's real
position on a number of issues. Perhaps Singer's readers are confused
by his use of the words "the last taboo." The word "taboo" was used by the
Jewish Dr. Sigmund Freud and his successors to indicate a superstitious
prohibition that should be abolished. Singer's words have been broadly
interpreted as a personal endorsement of human sex with animals. Animal
rights activists also worry about Singer's position on consensual sexual
relations between man and beast: Can an animal really give consent?
Curiously, Professor Singer has allowed the controversy about his real
intent to continue, even though he could easily speak out to clarify his
stance.

A partner in consensual sex?

Raba said: The Torah
ordered that the animal should be destroyed, because it too derived
pleasure from sin. (Sanhedrin
55a)

The beast, like
the man, was tried by a court of 23, and if found guilty, stoned. (Sanhedrin
2a)

It Once Happened …

When R. Dimi came he
related: It once happened at Haitalu that while a young woman was sweeping
the floor a village dog covered her from the rear, and Rabbi permitted her
to marry a priest. Samuel said: Even a High Priest. But was there a High
Priest in the days of Rabbi? — Rather, [Samuel meant]: Fit for a High
Priest. — Tractate
Yebamoth 59b

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Single White Female?

Recalling the Madison Avenue dictum that "Sex Sells," a
prominent rabbi hopes to use sex as a selling point for Judaism.
Certainly, none of us would refuse richer and more fulfilling sexual
expression in our lives. Let's see what the Judaism has to offer.

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, author of Kosher Sex: A Recipe
for Passion and Intimacy, presents Jewish sex as far superior to the
sex of other denominations. Jewish sex is a new dawn on the Sexual
Frontier.

Long ago, well before Christianity enacted legislation
forbidding its clerics from marrying or having sex, the ancient rabbis
were giving explicit sexual advice to married men and women as to how
they could enjoy pleasurable yet holy intimate relations. The rabbis
made female orgasm an obligation incumbent on every Jewish husband. No
man was allowed to use a woman merely for his own
gratification.

— Rabbi Shmuley Boteach (1)

As we consider what Rabbi Boteach has to say, we will see
him contradict the teachings of the Talmud. Is Rabbi Boteach
misrepresenting Judaism? Before coming to a conclusion, recall that in
Judaism, the definition of key terms can vary with the context and the
speaker, and sometimes with the speaker's intent (see Critical
Words of Talmud Study).

Judaism's Elastic Terms

Moreover, definitions are extremely elastic. According to
the Glossary of the Soncino Talmud, "Torah" can denote "(a) the Pentateuch
(Written Law); (b) the Mishnah (Oral Law); (c) the whole body of Jewish
religious literature." (13) The
Very Reverend the Chief Rabbi of the British Empire the late Dr. Joseph H.
Hertz writes that the Torah is constantly evolving:

… the revelation, the real Torah, was the meaning
of that Written Text, the Divine thought therein disclosed, as
unfolded in ever greater richness of detail by successive generations of
devoted teachers.

— Rabbi Dr. Hertz (14)

So Torah is not just Scripture, it's also the
interpretation of Scripture, and the interpretation of interpretations. In
the extensive definition, Torah is the entire body of Jewish
religious literature, and Jewish religious literature is whatever the
rabbis accept as such. It is an ever-expanding library that may, and does,
contain contradictory teachings. (20)

In consequence, a popularizer like Rabbi Boteach is free
to choose whichever teaching suits his target audience, and represent it
as the doctrine of Judaism. (16)

But since the Talmud, according to so many experts, is the
Word of God, the basic book of Jewish law and the foundation of Jewish
culture, we will compare Rabbi Boteach's representations with the words of
the Talmud. The US Supreme Court takes the Talmud Sages seriously enough
to accept a brief based wholly on Talmud law. (15) We,
too, take the Talmud Sages seriously.

(Note: In upcoming Talmud excerpts, we sometimes omit
non-germane text and footnotes. Omission of text is indicated by an
ellipsis (…). To see the full text and footnotes, follow the hot link at
the end of the excerpt. It is our pleasure to make available on line a
number of Talmud tractates, so that you can see the excerpt in full
context. We indicate unprintable Hebrew characters, words, and phrases
with the symbol [H].)

Wherein Does It Differ from Fish?

The Talmud does not support Rabbi Boteach's assertion that
the Jewish husband is obligated to give his wife pleasure. For example,
Tractate Nedarim 20b describes a situation that arises in two marriages:
the husbands insist on anal intercourse but the wives object. Using the
euphemism "overturned table" to signify anal intercourse, both wives seek
rulings from the rabbis. The principle cited in the rabbinical ruling is
given first.

GEMARA. … a man may do whatever he
pleases with his wife [at intercourse]: A parable; Meat which comes from
the abattoir may be eaten salted, roasted, cooked or seethed; so with
fish from the fishmonger. (4) …

A woman once came before
Rabbi and said, 'Rabbi! I set a table before my husband, but he
overturned it.' Rabbi replied: 'My daughter! the Torah hath permitted
thee to him — what then can I do for thee?' A woman once came before Rab
and complained. 'Rabbi! I set a table before my husband, but he
overturned it.' Rab replied; Wherein does it differ from a fish? (6)

— Babylonian Talmud, Tractate
Nedarim 20b
Soncino 1961 Edition, page 58

Rabbi Dr. H. Freedman comments on the text in the
footnotes; though Rabbi Dr. Freedman asserts mutual pleasure is the goal,
clearly the rabbis have ruled in favor of the exclusive pleasure of the
husband:

[This parable serves to express the absence of reserve
that may characterise the mutual and intimate relationship of husband
and wife without offending the laws of chastity.]
…

V. supra.

— Rabbi Dr. Freedman

The expression "overturned the table" is defined on the
previous page of the Soncino Talmud:

GEMARA. … R. Johanan b. Dahabai said:
The Ministering Angels told me four things: People are born lame because
they [sc. their parents] overturned their table [i.e., practised
unnatural cohabitation]; dumb, because they kiss 'that place'; deaf,
because they converse during cohabitation; blind, because they look at
'that place'.

— Babylonian Talmud, Tractate
Nedarim 20a
Soncino 1961 Edition, page 57

Returning to the tales of the unhappy wives: Despite the
women's objections, both rabbis rule that a woman must accommodate her
husband in his demands. This does not support Rabbi Boteach's statement,
"No man was allowed to use a woman merely for his own gratification."

Consider the warning of the Ministering Angels (quoted in
the above Gemara): Husbands and wives should not converse during
intercourse; they should not kiss "that place"; they should not look at
"that place." But what is "that place?" The Sages do not specify.

The Talmud's Ministering Angels are beginning to sound
like prudes, putting many boundaries on Rabbi Boteach's "pleasurable yet
holy intimate relations."

She Screams in Pain

It was apparently not unusual for a woman to scream during
intercourse in the days of the Sages, and the Sages addressed the
phenomenon of "the screamer" in the Talmud. In the following Mishnah, the
Sages are laying down the rules for women who may be divorced without
receiving their kethuboth (one-time financial settlement). We have
omitted non-germane text (…) and the footnotes. To see the footnotes and
the text in its entirety, follow the link at the end of the cite.

MISHNAH. … R. TARFON SAID: ALSO
ONE WHO SCREAMS. AND WHO IS REGARDED A SCREAMER? A WOMAN WHOSE VOICE CAN
BE HEARD BY HER NEIGHBOURS WHEN SHE SPEAKS INSIDE HER
HOUSE.

— Babylonian Talmud, Kethuboth
72a
Soncino 1961 Edition, page 449

The Gemara explains that the wife screams during
intercourse, and this should be regarded as a defect.

GEMARA. … R. TARFON SAID: ALSO
ONE WHO SCREAMS. What is meant by a screamer? — Rab Judah
replied in the name of Samuel: One who speaks aloud (10) on marital
matters. In a Baraitha it was taught: [By screams was meant a wife]
whose voice (11) during her intercourse in one court can be heard in
another court. But should not this, then, (12) have been taught in the
Mishnah (13) among defects? (14) — Clearly we must revert to the
original explanation. (15)

— Babylonian Talmud, Tractate
Kethuboth 72b
Soncino 1961 Edition, page 453

Rev. Dr. Israel W. Slotki amplifies the above Gemara in
the following footnotes. He tells us that the screams during intercourse
that concern the Sages were not screams of pleasure — they were screams of
pain.

Lit., 'makes her voice heard'.

Her screams of pain caused by the copulation.

Since her screaming is due to a bodily defect.

Infra 77a.

Of course it should. Such a case in our Mishnah is out of place.

That given in the name of Samuel.

— Rev. Dr. Slotki

The rabbis (according to Rev. Dr. Slotki) assume "her
screaming is due to a bodily defect." We are to believe, then, that a
significant number of the daughters of Israel had a genital condition
(classed as a "defect"), and experienced pain during intercourse. It is
also possible that husbands followed rabbinical rulings, used their wives
for anal intercourse, and didn't bother with lubricants. After all,
anything that "may be eaten salted, roasted, cooked or seethed" does not
have to be accommodated. For additional discussion of "the screamer," see
And So a
Talmud Marriage Ends.

Does it sound as though "The rabbis made female orgasm an
obligation incumbent on every Jewish husband" as Rabbi Boteach says?

Rabbis Set the Schedule

Lets consider some more words from Rabbi Boteach:

Rather than offering prescriptive rules about sex and
marriage, Judaism offers guidelines, or what might be called erotic
channels of communication, designed not to circumscribe our sexual
routine, but to focus it and make it potent, so that sex becomes
passionate and effective in conjuring up long-term emotions and
commitment.

— Rabbi Boteach (1)

Rabbi Boteach offers this characterization without
footnotes or references to Jewish Scriptures. (21)
However, we did find this in the Talmud:

MISHNAH. … THE TIMES FOR
CONJUGAL DUTY PRESCRIBED IN THE TORAH ARE: FOR MEN OF INDEPENDENCE,
EVERY DAY; FOR LABOURERS, TWICE A WEEK; FOR ASS-DRIVERS, ONCE A WEEK;
FOR CAMEL-DRIVERS, ONCE IN THIRTY DAYS; FOR SAILORS, ONCE IN SIX MONTHS.
THESE ARE THE RULINGS OF R. ELIEZER.

— Babylonian Talmud, Tractate
Kethuboth 61b
Soncino 1961 Edition, page 369

If the above Mishnah is not a prescription, what is it? It
sounds as though "the erotic channels of communication" are subject to
wartime rations. Of course, we no longer have ass-drivers or camel-drivers
in the Western world, but what conjugal schedule will contemporary rabbis
prescribe for computer programmers, clarinet players, and Secretaries of
Defense?

The Kethuboth 61b schedule does not tell the whole story,
however. For approximately two weeks of each month — regardless of the
husband's occupation — a husband and wife are forbidden to have sexual
relations at all (see Talmud Laws of
Menstruation [17]).

Testing Rags

To safeguard against accidentally having marital relations
during the prohibited menstrual period (see Talmud Laws of
Menstruation [17]),
the virtuous daughter of Israel inserts testing rags into her vagina
immediately before and after intercourse to discover any menstrual
discharge. (17) It
stands to reason that these rags absorb some of the vagina's natural
lubricating fluids. Perhaps the procedure contributed to the pain of the
"screamer" during intercourse?

Do It in the Dark

Rabbi Boteach is right. "Well before Christianity enacted
legislation forbidding its clerics from marrying or having sex, the
ancient rabbis were giving explicit sexual advice to married men and women
…" And what was that explicit sexual advice? Do it in the dark.

GEMARA. … But according to your
argument does intercourse take place at night and not in the day time?
Surely Raba stated: If one was in a dark room [intercourse] is
permitted!

— Babylonian Talmud, Tractate
Kethuboth 56a
Soncino 1961 Edition, page 329

GEMARA. … Did not R. Huna state, The
Israelites are holy and do not have intercourse in the day-time'? — But,
Surely, Raba stated: It is permitted in a dark room.

— Babylonian Talmud, Tractate
Kethuboth 65b
Soncino 1961 Edition, page 397

See also Shabbath
86a, Soncino 1961 Edition, page 409 for the similar statement.

GEMARA. … R. Huna said, Israel are
holy and do not perform their marital duties in the day-time. Raba said,
But in a dark house this is permitted; and a scholar may darken a room
with his cloak and perform his marital duty. [But] we have learnt,
OR SHE MUST PERFORM IT IN THE LIGHT OF A LAMP? — Read:
SHE MUST examine IT IN THE LIGHT OF A
LAMP.

Come and
hear: Although [the Sages] have said, He who has intercourse in the
light of a lamp is loathsome [etc.]? — Read: He who examines his bed in
the light of a lamp is loathsome.

— Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Niddah
17a
Soncino 1961 Edition, page 114

The reasons for this advice are not flattering to the
wife. If you see your wife in the act of love, you may come to loath her,
say the Sages.

GEMARA. … R. Hisda ruled: A man is
forbidden to perform his marital duty in the day-time, for it is said,
But thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But what is the proof? —
Abaye replied: He might observe something repulsive in her and she would
thereby become loathsome to him.

— Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Niddah
17a
Soncino 1961 Edition, page 114

Apply the same logic next time you go to a restaurant: To
avoid seeing something that might kill your appetite, wear a blindfold at
the table. Seriously. Drop us a line and let us know how it works
out.

Contraception

In this discussion, the ruling opinion of the Sages is
that contraception is forbidden. R. Meir disagrees, and opines that three
categories of women to use "absorbents." Footnotes omitted; to see them
follow the link below.

GEMARA. … Three [categories of] women
may use an absorbent in their marital intercourse: A minor, a pregnant
woman and a nursing woman. The minor, because [otherwise] she might
become pregnant, and as a result might die. A pregnant woman, because
[otherwise] she might cause her foetus to degenerate into a sandal. A
nursing woman, because [otherwise] she might have to wean her child
prematurely and this would result in his death. And what is the age of
such a minor? From the age of eleven years and one day until the age of
twelve years and one day. One who is under, or over this age must carry
on her marital intercourse in the usual manner. This is the opinion of
R. Meir. The Sages, however, say: The one as well as the other carries
on her marital intercourse in the usual manner, and mercy will be
vouchsafed from heaven, for it is said in the Scriptures The Lord
preserveth the simple.

— Babylonian Talmud, Tractate
Yebamoth 12b
Soncino 1961 Edition, page 62

Thus R. Meir is voted down. No one may use contraception,
ever, and the woman must carry on her sexual duties, even if pregnancy
would endanger her life. Notice that the Sages do not dispute the effects
of pregnancy on the women under discussion: Danger of death in childbirth
when the mother is so young; injury to the fetus being carried by the
mother, and death of the child being nursed by the mother.

The word of the Sages is settled law. The same
proscription against contraception, almost world for word, can be found in
Kethuboth, 39a

This doctrine forms an interesting contrast with that of
the Catholic Church. The Church allows a woman to abstain from intercourse
during her most fertile time of the month. The rabbis, however, enforce
abstinence on a wife during the least fertile part of her menstrual cycle
(see Talmud
Laws of Menstruation), and require her to have regular intercourse
otherwise.

What will the anti-contraception doctrine mean for America
when Talmud law fully supplants Gentile law? We are eagerly waiting to
find out.

America Is
Rapidly Becoming Talmudized

In 1991, the US Congress declared the Talmudic Noahide Laws
to be the basis "upon which our great Nation was founded" (see America's New
Government Church). Under Noahide Law regulations, idolaters (which
includes Christians by definition) are put to death.

In 1999, the Supreme Court
agreed to consider an amicus brief based wholly on Talmudic law
(see Sentence and
Execution).

In
November 2002, the American Orthodox Jewish community held a kosher dinner
in the Supreme Court building to celebrate the establishment of the
National Institute for Judaic Law. (6) The
dinner was attended by 200 people, including three Supreme Court Justices.
The purpose of the Institute is to introduce Talmudic laws into the US
legal system and law schools.

It is thus the clear civic
duty of every American to become intimately acquainted with the Talmud.
Read articles at:
America's New Government Church:
http://www.come-and-hear.com/editor/america_1.html
Death Penalty:
http://www.come-and-hear.com/editor/capunish_1.html
Kosher Dinner:
http://www.come-and-hear.com/editor/cp-jp-11-09-2002 and
http://www.come-and-hear.com/editor/cp-jw-01-08-03

More Sexual Do's and Don'ts

Rabbi Boteach told us earlier, "Well before Christianity
enacted legislation forbidding its clerics from marrying or having sex,
the ancient rabbis were giving explicit sexual advice to married men and
women as to how they could enjoy pleasurable yet holy intimate relations."
Let us seek out more of their advice from the Talmud.

GEMARA. … Rabbah b. Bar Huna said: If
a man immediately on returning from a journey has marital intercourse,
his children will be weaklings. The Rabbis taught: On coming from a
privy a man should not have sexual intercourse till he has waited long
enough to walk half a mil, because the demon of the privy is with
him for that time; if he does, his children will be epileptic. The
Rabbis taught: If a man has sexual intercourse standing, he will be
liable to convulsions; if sitting, to spasms; if she is above and he
below, he will be subject to delaria [diarrhoea].

— Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Gittin
70a
Soncino 1961 Edition, page 333

GEMARA. … Three things enfeeble a
man's body, namely, to eat standing, to drink standing, and to have
marital intercourse standing.

Five are nearer to death
than to life, namely, one who eats and rises immediately, or who drinks
and rises immediately, or who lets blood and rises immediately, or who
rises immediately on waking or after marital intercourse.

If one does the following
six things [together], he will die immediately: if he comes weary from a
journey, lets blood and has a bath and drinks himself drunk and lies
down to sleep on the floor and has marital intercourse. R. Johanan said:
That is, if he does them in this order; Abaye said: If he does them in
this order he will die; if not in this order he will fall ill. Is that
so? Did not [a certain] Me'orath do three of these things to her slave
and he died? — He was a weakling.

— Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Gittin
70a
Soncino 1961 Edition, page 334

Here's a passage full of advice. It, like the others,
gives us insight into the folkways of Talmudic society. Among the advice:
A wife should not demand her conjugal rights, and a man should avoid
having intercourse with one wife while thinking of another wife — he may,
however, think of a woman who is not his wife.

GEMARA. … And that ye seek not
after your own heart. (7) [Deducing] from this Rabbi taught: One may
not drink out of one goblet and think of another. (8) Rabina said: This
is necessary only when both are his wives.

And I will purge out from
among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me. (1) R.
Levi said: This refers to children belonging to the following nine
categories: children of fear, (2) of outrage, of a hated wife, one under
a ban, (3) of a woman mistaken for another, (4) of strife, (5) of
intoxication [during intercourse], of a mentally divorced wife, (6) of
promiscuity, and of a brazen woman. (7) But that is not so: for did not
R. Samuel b. Nahmani say in the name of R. Jonathan: One who is summoned
to his marital duty by his wife will beget children such as were not to
be found even in the generation of Moses? For it is said, Take you
wise men, and understanding [and known among your tribes, and I will
make them rulers over you]; (8) and it is written, So I took the
chiefs of your tribes, wise men and known (9) but 'understanding' is
not mentioned. (10) But it is also written, Issachar is a large-boned
ass; (11) whilst elsewhere it is written, And of the children of
Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the titles? (12) —
[It is virtuous] only when the wife ingratiates herself [with her
husband]. (13)

— Babylonian Talmud, Tractate
Nedarim 20b
Soncino 1961 Edition, pages 58-59

Rabbi Dr. H. Freedman amplifies the text with
footnotes:

Num. XV, 39.

Whilst cohabiting with one woman to think of another.

Ezek. XX, 38.

When a husband imposes himself upon his wife by force; Asheri
reads: children of a maidservant ([H] instead of [H]); v. MGWJ 1934 p.
136. n. 1.

A person under a ban was forbidden to cohabit.

Having intended to cohabit with one of his wives, he cohabited
with another.

Not a hated wife, but one with whom he had just then quarrelled.

I.e., when her husband has decided to divorce her.

One who openly demands her conjugal rights.

Deut. I. 13.

Ibid. I, 15.

The Heb. [H] is here taken to denote the highest degree of wisdom
- but such could not be found.

Gen. XLIX, 14; cf. Gen. XXX. 16-18. The allusion is to the legend
that Leah heard the braying of Jacob's ass, and so came out of the
tent and said to Jacob, thou must come in unto me. She had thus
demanded her conjugal rights.

I Chron. XII. 33; though such men were not to be found in the days
of Moses. This was Leah's reward, thus proving that it is meritorious
for a woman to demand her rights.

She may shew her desires, as did Leah, who merely invited Jacob
into her tent, but not explicitly demand their gratification.

— Rabbi Dr. Freedman

The First Night

If a bridegroom does not perform the marital act on the
first night following the wedding, he may fall into a delicate mental and
emotional state, and is therefore is excused from saying his prayers (the
Shema'). In the following, footnotes have been omitted, and the
ellipses indicate omission of non-germane text. To see the footnotes and
the text in its entirety, follow the link at the end of the cite.

GEMARA. … R. Joseph objected: A
bridegroom is free from the reading of Shema' in the first night
until the night following the Sabbath, if he has not performed [yet] an
act. Is it not because he is anxious to perform the marital act? — Said
Abaye to him: No; he is anxious because he has not had intercourse
…

… But, said Raba,
this is a dispute of Tannaim, for one [Baraitha] teaches: If he did not
do an act [of coition] in the first [night], he is free [from reading
Shema'] also in the second [night]; in the second [night], he is
free [from reading Shema'] also in the third [night]. And another
[Baraitha] teaches: [In] the first and second [night] he is free, [but
in] the third [night] he is obliged [to read Shema']. And Abaye
[holds that] there also [they] differ with regard to anxiety. And these
Tannaim [are] like those Tannaim, for it has been taught [in a
Baraitha]: He who marries a maiden shall not perform the first
intercourse on Sabbath, and the Sages allow [it].

— Babylonian Talmud, Tractate
Kethuboth 6b
Soncino 1961 Edition, pages 22-23

A discussion ensues on whether the groom should perform
the first marital act on the Sabbath. The answer depends on the intentions
of the groom. If he intends improvement of his wife's anatomy by tearing
her hymen, Sabbath intercourse is forbidden because it is defined as work.
If he intends to "make an opening," that falls under the category of
"building" and is prohibited. If his intention is to damage or wound his
new bride, however, Sabbath intercourse is permitted because wounding and
destructive acts are permitted on the Sabbath. The reasoning is extremely
close, but the operant phrase appears at the end: "does he do damage in
regard to the opening, or does he improve in regard to the opening?"

GEMARA. … The question was asked: Is
it allowed (15) to perform the first marital act on Sabbath? (16) Is the
blood [in the womb] stored up, (17) or is it the result of a wound? (18)
And if you will say (19) [that] the blood is stored up [in the womb,
then the question arises:] is he concerned about the blood, (20) and it
is allowed: or is he concerned with the opening, (1) and it is
forbidden? (2) And if you will say [that] he is concerned with the blood
and the opening comes of itself, [then the question arises:] Is the
halachah (3) according to R. Simeon who says: A thing which is
not intended (4) is allowed; or is the halachah according to R.
Judah who says: A thing which is not intended is forbidden? (5) And if
you will say [that] the halachah is according to R. Judah [then
the question arises], does he do damage in regard to the opening, or
does he improve in regard to the opening? (6)

— Babylonian Talmud, Tractate
Kethuboth 5b
Soncino 1961 Edition, pages 18-19

Rev. Dr. Israel W. Slotki amplifies the above Gemara in
the following footnotes.

Lit., 'How is it?

When the intercourse could not take place before Sabbath,
(Tosaf.).

And the intercourse would he allowed, since the blood flows out of
its own accord, no wound having been made.

Lit., 'or is it wounded?' And the intercourse would be forbidden.

Lit., 'And if you should he able to say.'

Is his aim to release it? Lit., 'is it the blood he requires?'
[According to Tosaf.: In order to see whether she is a virgin.]

Or is his aim to make an opening?

It is forbidden to make an opening on Sabbath. [Such an act comes
under the category of 'building'.]

'Adopted opinion', 'rule'.

An act which is in itself forbidden but is the unintended though
unavoidable result of an act which is permitted. Thus one may,
according to R. Simeon, push a couch on the floor, on Sabbath, if one
has not the intention to make a rut in the floor, although, as a
matter of fact, such a rut is made as the unavoidable result of
pushing the couch.

R. Judah's view is opposed to that of R. Simeon; v. n. 4.

Is the making of the opening considered to be to the advantage or
disadvantage of the woman? If it is to her disadvantage it would he
allowed even according to R. Judah. [Based on the principle that an
act of damage does not constitute labour in regard to Sabbath. V.
Shab. 106a.]

— Rev. Dr. Slotki

Unusual Abscess and Pus Imagery

The discussion on the legality of having the first
intercourse on the Sabbath continues. In this excerpt, Rabbi Ammi compares
deflowering of the virgin bride to opening an abscess and draining it of
pus.

GEMARA. … R. Ammi objected: (1) He who
pierces (2) an abscess on Sabbath, if [in order] to make an opening (3)
to it, he is guilty, (4) but if [in order] to cause pus to come out of
it [7a] he is free from punishment]? (5) — There (6) it is (7) stored up
(8) and is [entirely] loose, (9) here (10) it (11) is stored up (12) but
is not [entirely] loose. (13) R. Ammi allowed [couples] to have first intercourse (14) on Sabbath.

— Babylonian Talmud, Tractate
Kethuboth 6b-7a
Soncino 1961 Edition, page 24

Rev. Dr. Israel W. Slotki amplifies the above Gemara in
the following footnotes. Note in particular footnote 5, stressing that the
destructive nature of this coition makes the act permissible on the
Sabbath.

V. 'Ed. (Sonc. ed.) p. 12 nn. 5-6.

Lit., 'loosens.' Jast.: 'manipulates.'

Lit., 'mouth'.

Of Sabbath-breaking.

And permitted: v. Shab. 107a and 3a. Intercourse should thus be
permitted on Sabbath for the first time, even when the aim is the
bleeding!

In the case of the abscess.

The blood.

In the abscess.

From the flesh.

In the case of the virgin-bride.

The blood.

In the womb.

From the walls of the womb. [Read with MS.M. 'It is neither stored
up nor loose,' but the result of a wound, hence forbidden.]

Lit., 'to perform in the beginning'.

— Rev. Dr. Slotki

Many of the Talmudic traditions concerning the First Night
of the young couple will be unfamiliar to most Americans. But they should
be given a respectful hearing, nonetheless. We are sure you will
agree.

Animals Are People, Too

Now let us consider another subject important to the
Talmud Sages: Bestiality. It seems to have been quite a problem. The
rabbinical rulings on bestiality are complex and the rabbis make many
subtle distinctions. (18) The
Sages weigh carefully whether the human is male or female, whether the man
uses the vagina or the anus of the beast, whether the beast uses the
vagina or the anus of the woman, and whether the human is a minor child.
The Sages take note that of a man, only the anus is available for passive
intercourse ("unnatural").

Perhaps the most interesting difference between our own
view of bestiality and the Talmudic view is that the Sages consider the
animal should suffer punishment because it "derived pleasure from sin."
The notion that an animal can sin is distinctly foreign to Western
cultures founded upon Christian ideology.

GEMARA. … Raba said: The Torah ordered
that the animal should be destroyed, because it too derived pleasure
from sin.

— Babylonian Talmud, Tractate
Sanhedrin 55a
Soncino 1961 Edition, page 375

Let us now review the Mishnah on bestiality:

MISHNAH. HE WHO COMMITS SODOMY
WITH A MALE OR A BEAST, AND A WOMAN THAT COMMITS BESTIALITY ARE STONED.
IF THE MAN HAS SINNED, WHEREIN HAS THE ANIMAL OFFENDED? BUT BECAUSE MAN
WAS ENTICED TO SIN THEREBY, SCRIPTURE ORDERED THAT IT SHOULD BE STONED.
ANOTHER REASON IS THAT THE ANIMAL SHOULD NOT PASS THROUGH THE STREETS,
WHILST PEOPLE SAY, THIS IS THE ANIMAL ON ACCOUNT OF WHICH SO AND SO WAS
STONED.

— Babylonian Talmud, Tractate
Sanhedrin 54a
Soncino 1961 Edition, page 367

The reasoning here is plain. The Sages feared leaving
alive an animal used in bestiality. Other citizens might begin to look the
ox over and get ideas about it, thus: "This is the animal on account of
which so and so was stoned." Therefore it was meet that the ox be put away
to prevent others from taking liberties with it.

A woman who commits bestiality in the presence of two
witnesses, who warn her ahead of time on the gravity of her crime — might
be tried for a capital offense. However, if either condition is not met
(two witnesses, and a warning from each), she suffers no censure and
retains her eligibility to marry a High Priest. We are not told what
happens to the animal in this case.

GEMARA. … R. Shimi b. Hiyya stated: A
woman who had intercourse with a beast is eligible to marry a priest.
(4) Likewise it was taught: A woman who had intercourse with that which
is no human being, (5) though she is in consequence subject to the
penalty of stoning, (6) is nevertheless permitted to marry a priest. (7)

When R. Dimi came he
related: It once happened at Haitalu that while a young woman was
sweeping the floor a village dog covered her from the rear, and Rabbi
permitted her to marry a priest. Samuel said: Even a High Priest. But
was there a High Priest in the days of Rabbi? — Rather, [Samuel meant]:
Fit for a High Priest.

— Babylonian Talmud, Tractate
Yebamoth 59b
Soncino 1961 Edition, page 397

The translator, Rev. Dr. Israel W. Slotki, amplifies the
text with footnotes.

Even a High Priest. The result of such intercourse being regarded
as a mere wound, and the opinion that does not regard an accidentally
injured hymen as a disqualification does not so regard such an
intercourse either.

A beast.

If the offence was committed in the presence of witnesses after
due warning.

In the absence of witnesses and warning.

— Rev. Dr. Slotki

Trials for Animals

In the United States, of course, we would not consider
putting an animal to death, simply for being involved in situations like
these. Nor would we consider the animal had any guilt in the commission of
the crime.

Notice that the Mishnah of Sanhedrin 54a states,
"… because [a] man was enticed to sin thereby." Obviously, the
animals were considered deliberate and conscious seducers, possibly
criminally inclined.

To forestall the possibility of injustice, the Sages — we
think very fairly — provide trials for animals accused of capital
offenses. A sodomy-inclined domestic beast or a wild beast is entitled to
a formal trial before a panel of 23 judges to hear the evidence and to
decide culpability.

MISHNAH. … CAPITAL CASES ARE
ADJUDICATED BY TWENTY-THREE. THE PERSON OR BEAST CHARGED WITH UNNATURAL
INTERCOURSE, BY TWENTY-THREE, AS IT IS WRITTEN, THOU SHALT KILL THE
WOMAN AND THE BEAST, AND ALSO, AND YE SHALL SLAY THE BEAST.

THE OX TO BE STONED IS TRIED
BY TWENTY-THREE, AS IT IS WRITTEN, THE OX SHALL BE STONED AND ITS OWNER
SHALL BE PUT TO DEATH — AS THE DEATH OF THE OWNER, SO THAT OF THE OX,
CAN BE DECIDED ONLY BY TWENTY-THREE.

THE DEATH SENTENCE ON THE
WOLF OR THE LION OR THE BEAR OR THE LEOPARD OR THE HYENA OR THE SERPENT
IS TO BE PASSED BY TWENTY-THREE. R. ELIEZER SAYS: WHOEVER IS FIRST TO
KILL THEM [WITHOUT TRIAL], ACQUIRES MERIT, R. AKIBA, HOWEVER, HOLDS THAT
THEIR DEATH IS TO BE DECIDED BY TWENTY-THREE.

— Babylonian Talmud, Tractate
Sanhedrin 2a
Soncino 1961 Edition, page 2

Sages Not Unanimous

Not all Sages agreed on exceptions to the bestiality laws.
At least one (R. Papa) insisted that all bestiality, regardless of type,
should be considered a capital offense against Divine law — at least for
men. Rabbinical scholar and translator Rev. Dr. H. Freedman explains the
disagreements in footnotes:

The reference is to bestiality. If a woman allows herself to be
made the subject thereof, whether naturally or not, she is guilty. But
if a man commits bestiality, he is liable only for a connection in a
natural manner, but not otherwise. Thus Rashi. Tosaf., more plausibly,
explains it thus: If one commits incest or adultery with a woman,
whether naturally or not, guilt is incurred; but bestiality is
punishable only for a connection in a natural manner, but not
otherwise.

The meaning according to the interpretation of Tosafoth is clear.
Yet R. Papa's objection is not made in order to prove that unnatural
incest is not liable (which, in fact, it is), but that if a
distinction is to be drawn, unnatural bestiality is far more likely to
be liable than unnatural incest. On Rashi's interpretation, R. Papa's
objection is explained thus: Since a woman is naturally the passive
object of sexual intercourse, it follows that she should be punished
for bestiality only when the connection is carried out in a natural
way. But as man is the active offender in an unnatural crime he should
be punished even for unnatural connection. It must be confessed that
this is not without difficulty, and hence Tosaf. rejects Rashi's
explanation, which is based on a slightly different reading.

— Rev. Dr. H. Freedman (8)

Harlotry

According to the Very Reverend the Chief Rabbi of the
British Empire, the late Dr. J. H. Hertz, Jewish society is extremely
conservative and condemns sex outside marriage.

The satisfaction of the needs of physical and social
companionship outside the sacred estate of matrimony, unhallowed by
Religion and unrestrained by its commandments, Judaism considers an
abomination.

— Rabbi Dr. Hertz (8)

According to Rabbi Dr. Isidore Epstein, editor of the
Soncino Talmud, harlotry is condemned in the Old Testament and the Talmud.
Speaking of the Talmud Sages, he writes:

Whilst prizing chastity above all other virtues,
they refused to ascribe anything degrading to the marital union per se.
Prenuptial connections, whether in the case of men or women, they did
truly condemn. Not only was harlotry prohibited by them on the basis of
Biblical commands (Lev. XIX, 29, and Deut. XXIII, I8) but they even went
so far as to forbid the private association of sexes.

— Rabbi Dr. Epstein (7)

Old Testament — Whoredom Not Prohibited

Rabbi Dr. Epstein uses the word "harlotry," but the
passages he cites (King James Version) refer to "whore" and "whoredom." It
is indeed a common assumption that the Old Testament outlaws whoredom. Let
us examine Rabbi Dr. Epstein's sources (Lev. 19:29, and Deut. 23:18).
Those cites read as follows:

Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest
the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of
wickedness.

— Leviticus
19:29

Leviticus 19:29 does not prohibit whoredom. LORD God
prohibits a parent from "prostituting" his daughter. The command is not
directed to the woman herself. Nor does LORD God prohibit a man from using
prostitutes. Now let us look at another of Rabbi Dr. Epstein's cites.

Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog,
into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both these
are abomination unto the LORD thy God.

— Deuteronomy
23:18

Upon review, we find that Deuteronomy 23:18 does not
prohibit whoredom, anymore than it prohibits setting a price for a dog.
Clearly, though one should not bring "the hire of a whore … into the house
of the LORD," there is no prohibition on hiring a whore elsewhere.

Notice that neither verse prohibits a woman from being a
whore, nor are the whore's customers prohibited from hiring her. If this
is the strongest prohibition in the Old Testament (and you would expect
Rabbi Dr. Epstein to use the best cites), we would have to say that the
Bible, on a plain English reading, does not outlaw prostitution anymore
than it outlaws selling dogs.

Talmud — Whoredom Permitted

Let's revisit Rabbi Dr. Hertz's statement:

The satisfaction of the needs of physical and social
companionship outside the sacred estate of matrimony, unhallowed by
Religion and unrestrained by its commandments, Judaism considers an
abomination.

— Rabbi Dr. Hertz (11)

A reading of the Talmud suggests otherwise. Men are
permitted to hire harlots provided the payment or gift and the act of
intercourse are regarded as separate transactions.

GEMARA. … The scholars in the School
of R. Jannai used to borrow fruits of the Sabbatical year from the poor
and repay them in the eighth year. When this was reported to R. Johanan,
he said to them, 'They act rightly'; and an analogy may be found in the
matter of a harlot's hire which is permitted; for it has been taught: If
he gave her [an animal] without having intercourse with her or had
intercourse without giving it to her, her hire is permitted [for use in
the Sanctuary]. Now if he gave her it without having intercourse with
her, obviously [it may be devoted to the Sanctuary] for the reason that,
having had no intercourse with her, he merely presented her with a gift!
Further, if he had intercourse without giving it to her, behold he gave
her nothing, and since he made no presentation to her what means that
her hire is permitted! — This is what he intends: If he gave her it and
subsequently had intercourse with her, or had intercourse with her and
subsequently gave it to her, the hire is permitted But if he gave it to
her and subsequently had intercourse with her, since he did have
intercourse with her, [63a] the prohibition of the harlot's hire should
apply retrospectively to [the animal]! — R. Eleazar replied: [It is
permitted] when she first offered it. How is this to be understood? — If
he said to her, 'Take possession of this at once,' then obviously it is
permitted because it is no longer there at the time of intercourse and
he merely presented her with a gift; but if he had not said to her,
'Take possession of this at once,' how could she offer it, since the
All-merciful has declared, And when a man shall sanctify his house to
be holy — as the house [which he sanctifies] must be in his
possession, so must everything [which is dedicated to the Sanctuary] be
in the person's possession! — Rather [must we suppose the circumstance]
where he said to her, 'Let it be with you until the time of intercourse;
but should you require it then take possession of it at
once.'

— Babylonian Talmud, Tractate
Abodah Zarah 62b-63a
Soncino 1961 Edition, pages 305-307

R. Eleazar was a Talmudic Sage. The following is a story
about his habitual use of harlots, for which he apparently suffered no
sanctions by the other Sages.

GEMARA. … It was said of R. Eleazar b.
Dordia that he did not leave out any harlot in the world without coming
to her. Once, on hearing that there was a certain harlot in one of the
towns by the sea who accepted a purse of denarii for her hire, he took a
purse of denarii and crossed seven rivers for her sake. As he was with
her, she blew forth breath and said: As this blown breath will not
return to its place, so will Eleazar b. Dordia never be received in
repentance.

— Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Abodah
Zarah, 17a
Soncino 1961 Edition, page 87

Conclusion

To review: Rabbi Shmuley Boteach states in his book,
Kosher Sex: A Recipe for Passion and Intimacy: "Long ago, well
before Christianity enacted legislation forbidding its clerics from
marrying or having sex, the ancient rabbis were giving explicit sexual
advice to married men and women as to how they could enjoy pleasurable yet
holy intimate relations." (1) Let
us review some of the Talmud advice we have seen here.

Only in the dark

No talking

No kissing "that place"

No looking at "that place"

No standing

No sitting

No she-on-top

Not just before rising

Not upon returning from a journey

Not with one wife while thinking of another wife (but OK if object
of fantasy is not a wife)

Not with a wife who is under a ban (i.e., forbidden to do it)

Not with a wife you hate, one you've quarreled with, or one you've
decided to divorce

Not while drunk

Not during menstruation, or for a week afterward (see Talmud Laws of
Menstruation)

Not before inserting testing rags into the vagina (see Talmud Laws of
Menstruation)

Not with a woman whom you mistake for another

After returning from a privy, wait until the privy-demon has
departed

For newlyweds, sex is permitted on the Sabbath only if the groom
intends to wound his bride

Stick to the rabbinical schedule for sexual encounters, set by the
husband's profession

Wife may hint, but not demand

A wife's objections do not matter: Wherein does she differ from
fish?

We all surely understand why Rabbis Hertz, Epstein, and
Boteach would seek to put Judaism in the best light. We don't blame the
good rabbis for omitting a few details. However, we Americans are obliged
to take a discerning approach as our nation moves closer to adopting the
laws and lifestyles of the Talmud. We want to know what the rules are so
we can all follow them. And we all want better sex lives.

Right?

Thank you for your consideration of the above,
Carol
A. Valentine,  [email-masked]
July 14,
2003 ( This article is on line at
http://www.come-and-hear.com/editor/america_5.html )

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Footnotes:   Full
specifics for each of the printed sources are provided in the Bibliography. Outside URLs
were valid at the time this article was written. However, be mindful that URLs
do change.

Kosher Sex: A Recipe for
Passion and Intimacy, page 10

Ibid, page 69

In the United States, cohabitation means only "living
together" or "living together in an assumed sexual relationship outside
marriage." In the Soncino, the word seems to be used to denote sexual
intercourse

Babylonian Talmud,
"Introduction," Seder Nashim, page xxx - xxxi
available at http://www.come-and-hear.com/talmud/nashim.html#xxx

Babylonian Talmud,
"Foreword," Seder Nashim, page xxiv
available at http://www.come-and-hear.com/talmud/nashim_h.html#xxiv

"Jewish law institute launched in DC," Jerusalem
Post, November 9, 2002,
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/A/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1036830287246,
now moved to http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/jpost/index.html?ts=1042784008 cached
at: http://www.come-and-hear.com/editor/cp-jp-11-09-2002/index.html
Also:
"Jewish Law Comes to D.C.," The Jewish Week, January 8, 2003,
http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/newscontent.php3?artid=7074 cached as http://www.come-and-hear.com/editor/cp-jw-01-08-03/index.html

Babylonian Talmud,
"Introduction," Seder Nashim, page xxx
available at http://www.come-and-hear.com/talmud/nashim.html#xxx

Sanhedrin, page 372, notes 1 and 2, available on line as footnote
2 and footnote
3

"Biodiversity; Peter Singer," Radio National: The
National Interest, Sunday 13/05/01,
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/natint/stories/s295489.htm cached at http://www.come-and-hear.com/editor/na-peter-singer/index.html

"Heavy Petting" by Peter Singer, Nerve.com,
http://www.nerve.com/Opinions/Singer/heavyPetting/main.asp cached at http://www.come-and-hear.com/editor/na-heavy-petting/index.html

Babylonian Talmud,
"Marriage, Divorce, and the Position of Woman, in Judaism" by the Very Rev.
the Chief Rabbi Dr. Joseph Hertz, Seder Nezikin,
page xv

"Talmudic Discussion" by Mark Gertler (1911). Private
collection, London

Babylonian Talmud,
"Glossary," s.v. "Torah," available in Come and Hear™ hypertext as http://www.come-and-hear.com/tglossary.html#TORAH

Babylonian Talmud,
"Foreword," Seder Nezikin, Vol. I, page
xiv available in Come and Hear™ hypertext as
http://www.come-and-hear.com/talmud/nezikin_h.html#xiv

"Jewish Law and the Supreme Court: Happy Millennium From
an Ancient Legal Tradition," Project Next Step by Rabbi Yitzchok
Adlerstein,
http://projectnextstep.org/adlerstein-articles/jewish-law-supreme-court.htm
cached at http://www.come-and-hear.com/editor/cp-adlerstein2/index.html

Sincere students of Judaism will be disappointed to learn
that Kosher Sex was published without footnotes or an index; thus it is
difficult to study Rabbi Boteach's sources.

Talmud Laws of
Menstruation is available at
http://www.come-and-hear.com/editor/america_3.html

For examples of the subtle distinctions in bestiality, see
Tractate
Sanhedrin 54b, Tractate
Sanhedrin 55a, Tractate
Sanhedrin 55b

"Author Pages," Hodder Systems
http://authorpages.hoddersystems.com/ShmuleyBoteach/biography.asp cached at http://www.come-and-hear.com/editor/boteach-cigar/index.html

For a detailed definition and discussion of Torah,
see Critical
Words of Talmud Study: "Logic of the Talmud," and commentary on Kabbalism
available at http://www.come-and-hear.com/editor/critwords_1.html#logic

Rabbi Boteach provides, in totality, the following titles
on the "References" page of Kosher Sex: Robert Wright The Moral
Animal and Sex in America; Barbara Ehrenreich Time; Marlon
Brando and Robert Lindsey, Songs My Mother Taught Me; Shere Hite,
The Hite Report: A Study of Male Sexuality and The Hite Report on
Love, Passion, and Emotional Violence; Annette Lawson, Adultery: An
Analysis of Love and Betrayal; Carol Botwin, Tempted Women: The
Passions, Perils and Agonies of Female Infidelity; Warren Farrell, Why
Men Are the Way They Are; John Grey, Mars and Venus on a Date;
Bonnie Eaker Well, Adultery, the Forgivable Sin: Healing the Inherited
Patterns of Betrayal in Your Family; Bertrand Russell, The
Autobiography of … and Marriage and Morals; Erica Jong,
Fear of Flying; Erich Fromm, The Art of Loving; Masters and
Johnson, On Sex and Human Loving — These works may contain information
on sex, but what are Rabbi Boteach's references on "kosher"?

© Copyright Carol A. Valentine, 2003. See copyright statement
at http://www.come-and-hear.com/copyright.html

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