Family and Relationships
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Homosexuality
Does the Torah forbid both male and female homosexuality? Male homosexuality is explicitly forbidden in Lev. 18:22. The sources that forbid sexual intimacy between women are Talmud Yevamos 76a and the Midrashim on Lev. 18:3 (which forbids “the deeds of…
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Childlessness
What is the Jewish view about childlessness? Childlessness has always been regarded as a terrible thing. See Gen. 15:1-2, where G-d promises Abraham great rewards, and Abraham replies “What can You give me? I am childless!”.
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An Embryo as a Person
Is an embryo legally a person? The Jewish view (Talmud, Sanhedrin 91b) is that the soul enters the body at conception.
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Accidentally Causing a Miscarriage
How is a person punished of he accidentally causes a woman to miscarry? Answer: The Midrash Mechilta explains the passage in Ex.21:22-23 as follows: If the mother lives, the person who caused the miscarriage pays a fine of 100 pieces…
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A Woman Selling her Eggs
Can a Jewish woman sell her eggs to a non-Jewish couple? The child born from a Jewish woman’s egg may be Jewish, and it’s not allowed to turn a Jewish child over to non-Jews.
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BESHERT
Is a person’s mate really destined (beshert)? The Talmud (Moed Katan 18b; Sotah 2a) tells us that G-d personally chooses matches for people. A match that G-d has chosen is certainly “destined”, even if it does not actually come about…
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Halachic Sources on Abortion
What are the Biblical, Talmudic, and halachic sources about abortion? Answer: The Torah speaks in one place (Ex. 21:22-23) about accidental abortion. The Talmud discusses abortion in a few places: Mishnah Arachin 7:1 and Ohalos 7:6; Tosefta Gitin 3:13 and…
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When Abortion is Permitted
Does Jewish law permit abortion? Since life begins at conception, abortion isn’t permitted even at the early stages of pregnancy. However, it’s permitted to kill someone in self-defense. Jewish law therefore permits abortion if carring the child to term would…
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Cross-Dressing
Why is cross-dressing forbidden? Maimonides, in his law code Mishneh Torah, lists the cross-dressing prohibition of Deut. 22:5 (which forbids women wearing clothes that are ordinarily worn only by men and vice versa) under the category of laws relating to…