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9:53 PM (1 minute ago)
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Dr. Riccardo,
Here is what I wrote today to answer you, and I am feeling a bit better, thank HaShem.
Question from Dr. Riccardo from Italy
According to pure Halakhah, is it possible for Gentiles to assume the admissibility of carnal lesbian relationships and those between males other than anal coitus?
Dr. Riccardo,
I read with great interest your involved and intricate study from many important sources about homosexuality, etc. I had some thoughts reading through your sources which impressed me greatly. It is now almost the Sabbath day as you mention as I live in Monsey, NY, and we begin our prayers her around six o'clock to move things up to make Shabbos early. I won't be able for a while to give you a definite answer to all of your excellent points, because I just got out of the hospital with pneumonia, it should not happen to anyone else, and my doctor studied me carefully after I had finished my eight days of medicine for that condition, and he warned me strongly not to do anything strenuous for two weeks which will culminate in chest x-ray on Aug 28. Until then, if I have to do heavy thinking, I have to take it easy.
I will not, however, leave it at that. See Rambam Ishuse 24:16 - A wife who is not modest loses her Kesubo, which was established by the rabbis to prevent the husband from divorcing her. But a woman who is not modest should surely be divorced. See also Shulchan Aruch Even Hoezer 21,7 - One who hugs or kisses a woman forbidden for him to have relations with her, that people do not sense any sexual interest in such, for instance an older sister or his father's sister, even though he has no pleasure this is very shameful and is sinful, and is the doing of fools, because we never come close to a forbidden woman. End quote. See also Rambam brought in Moreh Nevuchim 3,28 and specifically in Rashbo I:417 that doing something which doesn't seem like a terrible sin but it corrupts others, those involved are killed even if they did nothing that could ordinarily bring them to great punishment. Thus, all of these loopholes which can bring about changes in respect for Torah are suspect.
There is today a great effort from Orthodox homosexuals to gain respect for their situation. They want to attend synagogue and pray with everyone else, and they are gaining respect from various quarters, because why drive out people who want to be Orthodox and have little hope for changing their biology? The problem is that when people advance an idea that will cripple the community or change it dramatically, this is a serious injury to the community that should be strongly opposed. This is becoming a strong issue and will lead to great arguments, with both sides feeling they are in the right. Personally, I don’t want to encourage for any reason people to popularize behavior clearly forbidden by the bible, for centuries. Even though some people demand their rights, we Orthodox Jews have rights also, and we don’t want to discard the Torah. And if we permit homosexuals or others to publicize their deviancies in the community proper surely many people will be influenced to imitate them, including our own children. We must fight it tooth and nail. Our children come first.
Shalom,
David Eidensohn
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