In the Zohar
The Zohar takes this whole theme one step further, exacerbating the extent of the transgression. According to particular parts of the Zohar (the Zohar is not written as one unit, with research suggesting that different parts were written by different men and different times, without complete consistency), masturbation is worse than murder, for murderers “kill others, but this is killing your own children, and a massacre at that.” Therefore, “There is no sin in the world for which there is not repentance – except this.” (Targum 41, 219b).
One who wastes his seed is like a father who murders his own children, and this is the only sin in the world for which there is no repentance! In another section of the Zohar, we’ll see clearly an approach that treats semen itself as holy, leaving any misuse squandering of it into a sin – with the actual intent of the Jewish man involved fully irrelevant:
“Anyone who ejaculates in vain will not merit to see the face of the Shechina (Divine Presence) and is called evil . . .” – this refers to someone who ejaculates by use of his hand or some other way . . . Therefore, a man must petition God that He will prepare for him a “kosher vessel”, so that he will not cause injury to his descendants – for one who ejaculates with an “unkosher vessel” will injure his descendants. Woe to someone who injures his own descendants!
Now pay attention: According to this text, even those who ejaculate during intercourse with a woman still retain the stigma of “ejaculating in vain.” In other words, what is significant is the semen itself, and not the intent of the person, for we are not speaking here at all of actual masturbation.
But despite this citation, most statements in the Zohar do deal with the intent of the person. Thus, when the Zohar decides that a person who awakens out of a sexual desire for Naama (the name of a particular demoness – i.e. he wakes up from an erotic dream) and sleeps with his wife, the child thereby born will belong to the Impure Side. In other words, the impure desire is determinant, and not the action itself (for it was sex with his perfectly fine wife).
Unlike its treatment of other mitzvot, the Zohar does not engage with the question of how masturbation affects the Sefirot, leaving it unclear how the upper realms are affected by this sin. It is perhaps for this reason the status of this sin in the Zohar’s system remains unclear. It is only with the Arizal that a complete connection is made between semen itself and divinity.
Celebrating 10 Years & Marking the End of An Amazing Project
Celebrating 10 Years & Marking the End of An Amazing Project
My opinion on Jewrotica is: It’s sexy. It’s awesome. It’s Judaism to the next level. It’s what we should all be getting into!
While many people fear the “sex talk,” Jewrotica offers an opportunity for writers and audiences to speak about sexuality in a open and safe space. When I attended a Jewrotica reading, I heard stories that reminded me that love takes many forms, and that expressing it is a vital part of who we are as a people.
Jewrotica is a great way to ask interesting questions about the interplay between sensuality and Jewish wisdom. Check it out.
I’m Heshy Fried from Frum Satire and I am very, very frum. And I completely support Jewrotica – it’s doing a service to the frum community. We need some sort of kosher sexual education. Jewrotica even has a system that allows frum filters to filter out certain things to make it PG for us. It’s mamish Torah. It’s like The Little Midrash Says for sex.
Jewrotica is awesome. It expands the mind and for people who were raised with narrow views on sexuality. Whether you are Jewish or not, or in different sects of Judaism like Orthodox, Conservative or Reform, no matter what your background or where you’re from, Jewrotica gets you to see Judaism and how it relates to sexuality in new ways. I really appreciate Ayo being here and helping us learn different ways to connect with our sexuality.
I stepped out of my comfort zone to be a part of this. I was glad to open up the topic of sexuality in my community. We are trying to build a safe space to talk about sex. The result I am most happy about coming from this event is that hopefully now my friends know they can come and talk to me, that I can be their ‘safe space’.
I had a great time deejaying at the Jewrotica event at Columbia University. The live readings were hilarious, informative, and in some cases, deeply moving. I know that I, along with many of my AEPi fraternity brothers, loved being able to connect our Judaism and our sexuality in a way that made all of us feel comfortable and welcome. I look forward to being a part of this again in the future!
You may not tell your mom that you’re going to a live Jewrotica reading (or whatever clever name you will dub these events) but you will tell your friends. However, both would be jealous if they find out that they missed it. I think it will only be a matter of time before Jewrotica helps us reclaim the term “Dirty Jew” the way rap music has done for “The ‘N’ Word.” I know I am now proud to be a Dirty Jew!
At Jewrotica’s Evening of Bedside Readings, students declaimed monologues on sexual encounters that had a Jewish twist. At Columbia/Barnard Hillel, the speakers pushed their own boundaries by performing a range of explicit narratives that challenged how the audience thought of the relationship to Judaism and sex. During the speakers’ preparation, the arguments about which narratives would be appropriate forced students to take a stand and voice their opinion on their own beliefs about Judaism an… Read more
Jewrotica is inspiring Jews and erotica with holiness and coolness, and is the pride of progressive Judaism. Jewrotica – awesome!
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