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The Month of Elul: The Month of Elul and Rectifying By Chana Bracha Siegelbaum

Return to the Image of G-d – Male & Female Relationship The month of Elul is all about Teshuvah (repentance). More literally Teshuvah is about return, return to our original purpose of creation. The first thing written about the purpose of humanity is right at the beginning of Genesis where it describes how Hashem created the first human being(s) in His image: “G-d created the human being in His image, in the image of G-d He created him, male and female He created them” (Bereishit 1:27). The very next Torah verse directs us to be fruitful and multiply (Ibid. 28). Doing Teshuvah during the month of Elul is about returning to become a true image of G-d. But what does it mean to be an image of G-d? The Shlah Hakodesh explains that Adam was created in the image of G-d, and only Israel is called Adam (Yechezkiel 34:31, Baba Metzia 114b). Therefore, ten fingers were registered within him, corresponding to the ten Sefirot… (Shelah Hakoesh, Parashat V’zot Haberacha, Ohr 3). Just as Hashem is manifested through his sefirot, so is Israel – the true Adam – created in G-d’s image a reflection of these sefirot. The sefirot on the right branch of the Tree of Life are male, whereas the sefirot on the left branch are female. The Image of G-d is, therefore, includes both male and female attributes and its highest expression is reflected in the proper relationship between male and female. A further support for this principle is the very first Divine word to the newly created man and woman, “be fruitful and multiply.” At the end of the second creation story the creation of the first woman is described. Immediately after her creation, we are told “Therefore, a man must leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife and they shall become one flesh” (Bereishit 2:24).

The Highest Expression of Free Choice: Overcoming the Desire for Homosexuality Today, unfortunately various human rights movements adhere to the belief that the highest expression of humanism is the right to exercise freedom of choice in every aspect of life including the right to establish same sex marriages. I can’t believe it, but I’m pretty sure that a law was just passed in Israel to legalize such marriages. The importance of Free Choice cannot be emphasized enough in . Yet, there are very different approaches to define what Free Choice entails. In the secular world, Free Choice is defined as lack of restrictions. Allowing our impulses and desires to be free to act in whatever way we feel like without restrictions, as long as we don’t hurt anyone else, is the secular definition of the highest expression of Free Choice. However, the delineation of “when it’s not hurting anyone else” is not clear cut and may be open to interpretation. Is publically exposing homosexual relationships not a negative example for others especially children? In the Torah we are not only prohibited from hurting others, we are furthermore forbidden to hurt ourselves. Suicide in the Torah, therefore, is a primary transgression. I want to venture to say that violating our Divine image by homosexual relationships can be compared to spiritual suicide. If we make a personal choice to purposely go against reflecting our Image of G-d in a fruitful male/female relationship, then what kind of spiritual meaning does our life serve? The Torah’s definition of Free Choice is diametrically opposed to the secular. Rather than giving in to our desires and impulses the Torah calls

בס”ד us to elevate ourselves to reflect our Divine Image by overcoming fruitless negative desires. Judaism credits the power of our Free Choice with the ability to make the right choices even when it goes against our natural inborn instincts. Thus, the definitions of Free Choice from hence the secular and Torah perspective clash through their respective views on homosexuality. According to the secular view, homosexuality is an expression of exercising one’s Free Choice by follow one’s own desires without giving in to religious and or social pressure. According to the Torah, Free Choice empowers every person with the ability to overcome even a natural, hormonal inborn tendency and physical desire towards homosexuality by abstaining from committing such act for the sake of spiritual perfection.

Remaking Ourselves in Tune with the Purpose of our Creation “וּשְׁ מַ רְ תֶּ ם ,asiyah –’action’ or ‘making.’ The Torah teaches us/ ֲע ִֹ ש יָּ ה The ‘sense’ of the Month of Elul is Keep the mitzvot and do them” (Vayikra 22:31). B’nei Yissaschar asks, why do we“ – ”מִצְוֹתַי וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם need to be told to both keep and do the mitzvot? He furthermore asks, why doesn’t it simply state, “Keep and do the mitzvot” but rather, “Keep the mitzvot and do them.” He explains that the answer lies in the Hebrew word for ‘do them’ which can also mean ‘make them’ or with a slight change of vowels ‘make themselves.’ Thus the Midrash teaches that when we keep the mitzvot it is considered as if we made ourselves (Midrash Vayikra Rabbah 35:7). Likewise, when we do Teshuvah Hashem considers it as if we made ourselves anew (Midrash Vayikrah Rabbah 30:3). Since the Month of Elul is the month of Teshuvah, and becoming a ba’al teshuvah (master of return) is considered as a new creation, as if we have made ourselves, therefore the ‘sense’ of action/making is fitting for this month (B’nei Yissaschar Article for the Month of Elul 1:6) So the power of Teshuvah to change ourselves knows no bounds. As part of ultimate Free Choice we have the ability to make ourselves anew, to become a completely altered and new person in tune with our purpose of creation. In lieu of this principle we can now understand that the only appropriate answer the question, “What is Judaism’s view of the Jewish homosexual?” is “there is no such individual” (Homosexuality and Judaism, Barry Freundel, quoting Spero, M.H., “Homosexuality: Clinical and Ethical Challenges,” Judaism and Psychology Halalchic Perspectives, , ,1980). Within Talmudic and Halachic responsa there is no term to define a homosexual Jew. The modern transliteration of homosexual into Hebrew only proves the point that no term exists. The homosexual is never included in the different categories of Jewish society such as Kohen, Levi, woman, slave, king, deaf, mute etc. The mumar l’teiavon (one whose/מומר לתיאבון only category that includes the Jewish homosexual is desires put him in opposition to Torah law). Thus, according to the Torah ‘homosexual’ is a term that is limited to the description of an activity, as opposed to a term that describes a minority group. Therefore, we must not ostracize a person who practices homosexuality any more than we would shun any other Jew that breaks or eats non-kosher. “Don’t judge your friend until you arrive at his place” (Pirkey Avot 2:4). We do not have any inkling of the difficult tests this person is up against, and which genetic, social and traumatic experiences caused his or her sexual orientation. Therefore, we must show compassion and encourage such an individual to use the power of Free Choice to redirect his or her sexual orientation and thereby make him or herself anew.

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The Virgo and the Question of Female Homosexuality The astrological sign of the month of Elul, Virgo, is connected with the purity of repentance – remaking of ourselves to become a new creation. The Jewish congregation is likened to a virgin who no man was ever able to penetrate. We are continually endeared to Hashem as at the very first time. The sexual purity with which the constellation of Virgo is associated alludes to the importance of focusing on sexual purity during our Teshuvah throughout the month of Elul. This applies to women as well as to men. It has been brought to my attention that many Jewish women even those who belong to the Torah camp practice homosexuality occasionally. The general consensus is that female homosexuality is not really forbidden by the Torah. Perhaps people draw these mistaken conclusions based on the fact that there is no specific prohibition for female homosexuality the way the Torah explicitly forbids male homosexuality, “You shall not lie with a man, the way of lying with a woman; it is an abomination” (Vayikra 18:22). In addition, female homosexuality does not entail emission and wasting of seed which has the ability to create new life. Thirdly, it does not entail any actual consummation of the sexual act of becoming “one flesh” as does male homosexuality. Nevertheless, according to Rambam lesbianism is forbidden from the Torah (D’oraita). His clearly written words do not leave any room for misinterpretation: “Lesbian relations are forbidden. This is “the conduct of Egypt” which we were warned against, as [Vayikra 18:3] states: “Do not follow the conduct of Egypt.” Our Sages said, What would they do? A man would marry a man, a woman would marry a woman, and a woman would marry two men. Although this conduct is forbidden, [by Scriptural Law the verse is not merely cited as support for a Rabbinic injunction] lashes are not given for it, for it is not a specific prohibition and there is no intercourse at all. Therefore such women are not forbidden to marry a Kohen as zonot (prostitutes), nor does a woman become prohibited to her husband because of this, for this is not considered harlotry. It is; however, appropriate to give them lashes for rebellious conduct because they performed a transgression. A man should take precautions with his wife with regard to this matter and should prevent women who are known to engage in such practices from visiting her and her from visiting them” (Rambam, Mishnah Torah, the Laws of Forbidden Sexuality, Chapter 21, Halacha 8). These words are echoed almost word by word in the p’sak (halachic ruling) of the Shulchan Aruch, (Eben HaEzer 20:2).

Returning to the Purpose of our Creation To conclude, both men and women are placed in this world to exercise our Free Choice to live as spiritual beings performing the will of our Creator, rather than stretching the Torah to condone our inability to control our physical desires. Hashem does not give a mitzvah which is impossible to keep for any given individual. Whatever one’s sexual orientation, no one is locked in a living prison with no exit and no key. Contrary to the bombardment of the media promulgating gays’ rights, a recent study indicates a more than 70% success rate for redirecting homosexual orientation (Schwartz, M.F. And Masters, W.H., “The Masters and Johnson Treatment Program for Dissatisfied Homosexual Men.” American Journal of Psychiatry 141:2, February,1984, pp. 173-181. This study shows a remarkable success rate. After 1 year the success rate was 79.1% and after 5 years it was 71%). This teaches us that when we truly desire to keep a Torah lifestyle nothing is impossible. May we take the opportunity of the month of Elul to do choose eternal life, and may we be empowered to do Teshuvah, correct our actions, make ourselves anew and return to our original purpose of creation!