Abstract
Sexual intimacy in traditional Judaism is frequently discussed in a nearly contradictory manner. While sexuality is described as a religious ideal it is concurrently portrayed in a highly puritanical version of Jewish law that minimizes such possibilities. This paradox is clarified by an exploration of the Talmud’s approach to sexual pleasure in the context of marriage. An analysis of the Talmud’s approach to sexual positions, frequency of marital relations, as well as homiletical approaches to sexuality and laws of ritual purity relating to sexuality demonstrates a dialectical approach to sexual intimacy. One pole endorses an ascetic approach, with a very negative view of sexuality. The other pole endorses an ‘anti-ascetic’ celebrating the importance and significance of sexual intimacy and pleasure in the context of marriage.
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Notes
The Talmud is the textual record of generations of rabbinic debate about law, philosophy, and biblical interpretation, compiled between the 3rd and 8th centuries and structured as commentary on the Mishnah with stories interwoven. The Talmud exists in two versions: the more commonly studied Babylonian Talmud was compiled in present-day Iraq, while the Jerusalem Talmud was compiled in present day Israel (https://www.sefaria.org/texts/Talmud).
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Dienstag, A., Dienstag, P. The Dialectic Nature of Sexual Intimacy in Talmudic Literature. Sexuality & Culture 27, 1646–1660 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-023-10082-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-023-10082-2