Judaism and Sex?

Question

Hi.
I have some conflicting points from different sources and was hoping someone could specify which is more correct.

My textbook tells me

"The extreme ascetic view sees sexual relations as appropriate only for the purpose of procreation and it is thus a necessary evil."
This tells me that sex, apart from procreation, is not had, in extreme groups of Judaism.

Another books says,
"Though rabbinic judaism took shape in the midst of the greco-roman world, it rejected a good deal of greco-roman though, including the idea that the human soul is good while the human body is evil. Unlike Christianity, therefore, Judaism never looked down upon bodily pleasure and did not associate sex with sinfulness."

Is it safe to say that the textbook is correct when talking about extreme cases only, or is there no chance of any Jew having the view that marital sex can be sinful.

Note: people like Cosmo.
The textbook isn't suggesting Jews see sex as sin. Its suggesting that amoungst EXTREME groups, there is the oppinion that sex is only good for procreation.

Answer 1

There is no such thing as "rabbinic Judaism". It's traditional, Orthodox Judaism, and the rabbis have always had commentaries on it. It isn't called "pastor Christianity" when Christian pastors make commentaries on the new testament, is it? Nope. "Rabbinic Judaism" is a title used by those who are seeking to delegitimize Orthodox Judaism, usually, by saying that Jews don't follow the Torah as given by God, but instead follow the Rabbis (who are accused of changing it) only. This isn't true.

So, there's that, first of all.

As for the rest of it, traditional, Orthodox Judaism considers sex to be a gift from our Creator. It is to be used as a holy gift, a beautiful thing, and of course every time the couple will hope that a child will be born as a result.

Sex in Judaism is a very fundamental part of any marriage, as it is the very glue that holds the foundation of any Jewish marriage together. It bonds a husband and wife very deeply, causing them to be very much in love and thus they will make a happy, stable homelife for themselves and their children if they have them.

In Orthodox, traditional Judaism, the woman is NOT obligated to bear children, only the male is required to sire children. So if the woman does not want sex when a husband does, she is not obligated to do so. This doesn't mean that she can just continually refuse him for no reason, however.

Furthermore, the husband is obligated to satisfy his wife, sexually. If he doesn't do so, she can legally divorce him. If the wife is not satisfied, she will not bond deeply with her husband, and the house will not be a house of peace and calm, or very stable. The husband does receive some instruction before marriage by a rabbi who is an experienced counsellor. The wife, also, usually by a rabbi's wife who counsels women on such things.

Together, after marriage, the husband and wife will discover more on their own what works best for them, what bonds them to each other deeply.

The husband is forbidden to initiate sex when they are angry, or when the wife is ill, etc.

I would be very, very surprised to find any Orthodox Jew who would have the view that marital sex can be sinful.

There are some who believe that being *overly* lustful is sinful, because a Jewish man and wife are to have the purest intentions of love and holiness while having sex, to assure that only the purest soul will come into any child that is conceived during the act.

Hope that helps.

Source: Torah, Judaism, I'm Jewish.

P.S. The answerer above me, who calls himself a "Nazarene Jew" is not. Nazarene "Jews" are first of all not Jewish (or very few actual Jews), they are mainly Gentile Christians. Their beliefs are wholly Christian, although they disguise that with lots of Jewish sayings, words, prayers, dress, etc.

Answer 2

Green_eyed_girl and Julia D are completely correct. I have never, never, never heard anything in Judaism where it says that sex is sinful. It's considered a mitzvah--a commandment--to have sex on Shabbat (the Sabbath) for example. And yes, in the Talmud, there are requirements as to the *minimum* number of times a week that a man is required to have sexual relations with his wife depending upon his trade--Torah scholar, sea captain, laborer, etc (remember that the Talmud was written 1500 years ago or so). I could probably find you the citation if you wanted.

Also--and I hesitate to jump into the fray--rabbinic Judaism, in my view, includes all branches of Judaism since it relates to the inclusion of the Talmud into the body of Jewish law.

[edit] I have cut and pasted a particularly good paragraph from the link below:

"Sex is the woman's right, not the man's. A man has a duty to give his wife sex regularly and to ensure that sex is pleasurable for her. He is also obligated to watch for signs that his wife wants sex, and to offer it to her without her asking for it. The woman's right to sexual intercourse is referred to as onah, and is one of a wife's three basic rights (the others are food and clothing), which a husband may not reduce. The Talmud specifies both the quantity and quality of sex that a man must give his wife. It specifies the frequency of sexual obligation based on the husband's occupation, although this obligation can be modified in the ketubah (marriage contract). A man may not take a vow to abstain from sex for an extended period of time, and may not take a journey for an extended period of time, because that would deprive his wife of sexual relations. In addition, a husband's consistent refusal to engage in sexual relations is grounds for compelling a man to divorce his wife, even if the couple has already fulfilled the halakhic obligation to procreate."

Answer 3

Judaism teaches that a husband is obligated to 'please' his wife when it comes to sex - that's the first thing to note :)

Very religious Jews do tend to have many children, and I think you'll find this happens with the religious of most faiths.

As a Jew, I'm not aware of anything in our religion which ever regards sex as remotely sinful, whether it's leading to procreation or not.

Certainly I've never heard any Rabbi express the idea that sex is inherently 'bad'.

If I'm wrong, I'm sure one of my fellow Jews will correct me :)

You could also check out www.whatjewsbelieve.com and also www.askmoses.com

On the latter site, you can post questions.

Hope this has been helpful.

Answer 4

Yes marital sex is not viewed as something dirty or bad, in fact it is a commandment to have sex so you get rewarded for doing it.

Maya you are incorrect, Hinduism has forbidden masturbation long before Judaism existed. Taoism also forbids it and Buddhism discourages it since it waste chi.

Judaism only forbids male masturbation, women can masturbate all they like.

As for homosexuality that has been accepted and condemned by various cultures before Judaism existed.

Answer 5

Judaism was the first religion to condemn homosexuality and masturbation as "abominations" ; christianity and islam merely picked it up from the jews. Prior to judaism,there was no religion that took any particular view of any particular sexual practice,other than condemnations of rape. The whole anti-sex/religion thing began with the jews. That's basic religious history and virtually undeniable.

Answer 6

Any "textbook" that would refer to sex as a "necessary evil" is archaic and demeaning.