Written by Tamar Fox. Check out Tamar’s last post in this series, Double Mitzvah – Tazria / Metzora.
This week’s double parsha (so, quadruple mitzvah?) includes some of the more difficult and problematic Jewish texts about sexuality. Specifically, at the end of Leviticus 18, 19, and 20, we get a lengthy list of prohibited sexual relationships, and prohibitions against uncovering the nakedness of a variety of relatives.
There are some people who have spent a lot of time interpreting these texts in ways that makes them more palatable, and I’m grateful for all of their work and all of the context they’ve uncovered regarding these texts. In particular, Rabbi Steve Greenberg has demonstrated that the prohibitions against male homosexual intercourse can be read as prohibitions against sexual violence and humiliation in the context of a particular pagan ritual.
But I’m interested in pulling back a little, and thinking about the philosophy behind giving all these prohibitions. I live in a world where most of my friends have an open attitude of being GGG (good, giving and game) with their partners. This can mean doing all kinds of (sometimes weird) things in the name of making a partner happy, all with the understanding that the partner will return the favor.
At the same time, getting consent, and being mindful of others’ bright lines, is paramount to maintaining a healthy sex life, and something that’s under constant discussion amongst my friends. It occurs to me that this dichotomy– being open to all kinds of things, while maintaining a clear set of boundaries–is the philosophy espoused in the Torah. Though the particulars that it bars are sometimes offensive or unthinkable to us, the text is creating its own “safe zone” – ruling some behaviors out, and others in.
I cannot really make sense of some of the difficult things in this week’s Torah portion. But I can use this time to think deeply about my own limits–where they come from, why they’re there, and what they bring to my life.
Shabbat shalom!Celebrating 10 Years & Marking the End of An Amazing Project
Celebrating 10 Years & Marking the End of An Amazing Project
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.
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Jewrotica is inspiring Jews and erotica with holiness and coolness, and is the pride of progressive Judaism. Jewrotica – awesome!
Jewrotica is something that the community has needed for a long time so that people can actually learn, express and share and have good relationships without having to stumble through life. Check out the site and learn something. Have fun!
Bedside Reading with Jewrotica was funny, sexy, and hot all at once. The readings were honest about all kinds of sexuality, but the highlight of the evening was definitely the confessions, written by audience participants. Nobody knew who wrote them, and most were tell-alls that would make your bubbe blush. Unless your bubbe was very, very cool. Then maybe she’d make YOU blush!
What an incredible night Jewrotica was!!!! There was this fantastic moment, in a sea of Jews of all sexualities, ages, backgrounds and denominations, that I realized we were all in this together! I hope that there are many more events coming to Austin soon!
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
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I’m into Jewrotica. I went in for my second circumcision.
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.
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