Rabbinic Opinions on Lesbianism

 

 

These translations of citings appear on the Yahoo! Tzfat group. I do not know how accurate they are.

 

The Rambam says specifically in the text we translated it is not a prohibition i.e. one of the 613 positive/negative commandments, however, he does not condone it. In the Mishneh Torah of the Rambam Sefer Qedusha, chapter 21 of "forbidden relations".

In the Mishneh Torah of the Rambam Sefer Qedusha, chapter 21 of "forbidden relations" *9{Kafih edition} {trans} "And even thought this deed is forbidden  one is not flogged for it because there is no specific prohibition on this since in reality no sexual relations  have taken place and therefore they are not forbidden to Cohanim because of "znoot" and also are not forbidden to their husbands".... this is the pertinent material to our subject, the Rambam goes on but I trust you can read the remainder of the laws.

"No specific prohibition" means that it is not one of the 365 negative commandments and there is no "prohibition" likewise there is no punishment even though at the end of this halachah in the Rambam he says " it would be suitable{but not obligatory} to inflict upon them "stripes of incorrigibility?".

 

If you read the Gemara correctly{and not just copy/paste} you will see the conclusion is that it applies to men and not to women and for women it is "stam peritzoot"{peritzoot b'alma} but does not make her a "zonah " and she is permitted to a Cohen.

The conclusion of all the "balagan" on this forum  is clear, the woman is not a "whore", she is not forbidden to a Cohen nor her husband. As we mentioned in an earlier response it is frowned upon and the Rambam in the end of the same paragraph advises husbands to keep their wives distant from women of this sort.

Things being so clear, what more can be said?  "shraga b'tehiro, mah m'hanei?"

 

The Talmud says [Yevamos 76a, Shabbos 25a] that a woman who engaged in Lesbian relations is forbidden to marry a Kohen; this is because she engaged in forbidden conduct and gains the status of a zona.

 
These types of relations fall under the prohibited category of "Egyptian acts" [Leviticus 18:3] and according to Maimonides are Biblically forbidden. Rabbi Yehoshua Falk Katz (d. 1614) of Lemburg, argues on the Rambam, and says that while there is no precise
Biblical source for forbidding Lesbian relations, it surely is rabbinically forbidden.

 

See: http://tinyurl.com/y9af5x

 

Homosexual acts between women (lesbianism) were forbidden by the rabbis on the basis of "Do not follow the ways of Egypt where you once lived, nor of Canaan, where I will be bringing you. Do not follow [any] of their customs." (Leviticus 18:3). The oral law (Sifra
there, 8:8) explains that what is meant is sexual customs and that one of those was the marriage of women to each other, as well as a man to a woman and her daughter. The Talmud follows this view, forbidding lesbianism. Like all Rabbinical prohibitions, violation
can incur lashes. Female homosexuality is regarded as less serious
than male homosexuality.

 

Perek 18 lists the sexual prohibitions (Perek 20 gives their punishments). Among them, pasuk 22 lists homosexuality, and pasuk 29 tells us when punishment is by Karet, and Rashi explains that this is where the Torah tells us that all these sexual prohibitions apply to men and to women.