Sexuality in Jewish Terms

Danya Ruttenberg, ed.. The Passionate Torah: Sex and Judaism. New York: New York University Press, 2009. ix + 294 pp. $19.95, paper, ISBN 978-0-8147-7605-6. Reviewed by Evyatar Marienberg Published on H-Judaic (January, 2011) Commissioned by Jason Kalman (Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion) The Passionate Torah: Sex and Judaism is a articles assembled in her volume express the delightful book. As with any publication com‐ same balanced opinion. prised of articles by various authors, not all parts Sarra Lev’s article “Sotah: Rabbinic Pornogra‐ can be honestly considered of equal importance phy?” is a remarkable analysis of the rabbinical or quality by any reader. Nevertheless, the writer description of the ritual performed on a woman of this review--who considers himself more or less suspected of unfaithfulness to her husband. Al‐ conversant in the study of Judaism and sexuality though Lev hints at the fact, and scholars such as (and who, by the way, does not know the volume’s Ishay Rosen-Zvi showed, that this ritual is proba‐ editor or the vast majority of contributors)--found bly an imaginary construct of the rabbis (using an the majority of the contributions to be, on his sub‐ actual biblical text), for readers of the Mishnah jective scale, between good and superb. for close to two millennia, the ritual was very The short introduction by Ruttenberg is a nice real. Lev, using fascinating insights from studies piece by itself. It shows clearly her intention to of pornography, forcefully shows that the text is a avoid producing yet another one-sided book on sad example of a literary pornographic descrip‐ sexuality in Judaism, in which Jewish stance on tion of an imaginary public rape--not less--pro‐ the matter is presented as simple and, not surpris‐ duced by men for consumption by men. Reading ingly, positive. That is appreciated; the one kitschy this Mishnaic text was never easy for me or, I Kosher Sex Amazon sells is more than enough. imagine, for most readers. After reading Lev’s “Are Jewish attitudes about sex enlightened or chapter, I know why. problematic?” asks Ruttenberg. “Both of course, Judith R. Baskin’s “Prostitution: Not a Job for a and neither.... Jewish sexuality is nothing if not Nice Jewish Girl” is a useful and interesting explo‐ complex” (p. 2). The vast majority of the eighteen ration of the issue of prostitution in the Bible and H-Net Reviews in rabbinic literature. It is followed by a chapter benefits of keeping the laws of menstrual impuri‐ by Bonna Devora Haberman entitled “Divorcing ty for the couple’s intimacy (p. 101)--Landau’s use Ba’al: The Sex of Ownership in Jewish Marriage.” of the sources and her arguments are well estab‐ Haberman attempts to discuss in twenty pages lished. “Although ‘good sex,’ traditionally, is any and eight footnotes--and with a very strong agen‐ sex within the prescribed framework, this essay da--everything about marriage and divorce in Ju‐ argues that ‘good sex’ also encompasses a deep daism. Personally, I did not fnd this chapter con‐ recognition of humanity” (pp. 96–97). vincing. Naomi Seidman’s “The Erotics of Sexual Seg‐ Aryeh Cohen’s piece, “The Sage and the Other regation” uses both theory and Seidman’s person‐ Woman: A Rabbinic Tragedy,” sounds much like a al experience to explore the fact that “the tradi‐ carefully constructed poetic, oral presentation. tional world offered a wide range of same-sex en‐ Cohen analyzes a story that, for students of Tal‐ vironments, each with its distinctive patterns of mud, is well known: It is about a woman who interaction.... [C]onservative Orthodox communi‐ came to the sages to protest the death of her ties, with their complex homosocial structures, learned husband, and the explanation she is given satisfy one particular aspect of feminist desire-- is that his death is somehow related to lack in ob‐ what was referred to, in an earlier time, as ‘sister‐ servance of rabbinic laws related to menstrua‐ hood’” (pp. 111, 114). Seidman argues convincing‐ tion. Other than one questionable interpretation-- ly that this fact might play a role in the surprising which argues that the woman’s statement regard‐ attractiveness of traditional frameworks for peo‐ ing her husband not thinking of “anything else” ple, particularly women, who cannot otherwise while being with her in bed, is referring to him be easily described as traditional. not thinking of Torah (p. 62)--Cohen’s discussion Haviva Ner-David contributed a chapter enti‐ of the story, its various versions, and its interpre‐ tled “Reclaiming Nidah and Mikveh through Ideo‐ tations in the Middle Ages, is a beautiful and rich logical and Practical Reinterpretation.” It is an in‐ piece. teresting piece that mixes historical study, theolo‐ Esther Fuchs’s article, “Intermarriage, Gen‐ gy, ideology, and law. Ner-David describes--blunt‐ der, and Nation in the Hebrew Bible,” deals with ly, at times--the way she and her husband deal exactly that. It is an enlightening study of biblical with the laws of menstrual impurity. Her attempts texts, mostly from the Pentateuch and the Book of to relate her cycle to certain psychological states, Esther, using a serious theoretical framework. thus justifying different behavior in different mo‐ Melanie Malka Landau’s “Good Sex: A Jewish ments, are interesting and might convince some. I Feminist Perspective” is another very fne contri‐ still wonder, for example, how Ner-David might bution, an effort to define what is “good sex” from explain why a woman who does not have a period an ethical perspective, using a fascinating analy‐ (due to pregnancy, menopause, a medical condi‐ sis of a Talmudic story in TB Menahot 44a. I imag‐ tion, or certain contraceptive pills), but who may ine that any young yeshiva boy knows this story, still have different psychological states at differ‐ even if his rabbis do not show it to him. (I certain‐ ent moments, will suddenly not need these rules. ly knew it. For years, I wore tzitzit mostly because Wendy Love Anderson’s “The Goy of Sex: A of this story. Why? Check the text.) The story is Short Historical Tour of Relations between Jews about one scholar’s surprising encounter with a and Non-Jews” is a delightful chapter. One can kind of “elite prostitute” whom he later marries. only hope that the author will fulfill her plan to Leaving aside one unfortunate quote--that typical “someday to publish a book-length history of Jew‐ and unsubstantiated orthodox cliché about the ish intermarriage” (p. 277). This well-arranged 2 H-Net Reviews and well-written summary of the issue might be‐ names. “I’ll spare you the list,” she says, “but you come an outline for such a book. can look it up” (p. 182). Elliot Rose Kukla’s “‘Creat‐ Elliot N. Dorff’s “A Jewish Perspective on Birth ed by the Hand of Heaven’: Sex, Love, and the An‐ Control and Procreation” is important, although it drogynos,” is another remarkable, solid piece in has some claims that are (how to say it?) problem‐ this volume. It offers a glimpse of light into rab‐ atic. For example, to say that “the Rabbis were binic texts: “They do not argue for sex and gender again remarkable in recognizing and prohibiting liberation, as some of us might wish that they had. marital rape, a feature of American law in most But they also never question whether gender di‐ states only since the early 1990s” (p. 154) is a re‐ versity really exists, or whether gender-noncon‐ minder of the tiresome “Jews do it better” mantra. forming people should be included in romantic Comparing a system in which women who suffer and social life” (p. 200). from violence could, at least in theory, request di‐ The editor, Danya Ruttenberg, also contrib‐ vorce with a system in which women still cannot uted an article. Her “Toward a New Tzniut,” re‐ initiate divorce--and then favoring the latter, at minds us that the term Tzniut (modesty) in today’s the very least, is questionable. Moreover, Dorff’s Orthodox context “refers almost exclusively to fe‐ article or parts of it seem to have been written a male dress, and sometimes to female behavior” long time ago. For example, the recommendation (p. 203). Ruttenberg suggests new, well-thought- that partners should provide “full disclosure of out and argued rules. Jay Michaelson’s “On the Re‐ each partner’s sexual history from 1980 to the ligious Significance of Homosexuality; or, Queer‐ present to identify whether a previous partner ing God, Torah, and Israel” is one of the only chap‐ may have been infected with the HIV virus” (p. ters in the book that touches on deep issues of the‐ 157) makes little sense in 2009. The suggestion ology. It is also I think the frst dealing with queer that Hillel houses on campuses distribute con‐ theory that I actually succeeded in understanding. doms is “so nineties!” It might even cause, I am And all this is done using a clear, thorough mas‐ afraid, a counterattack from CVS and Rite Aid. tery of rabbinic texts and concepts. Chapeau! Gail Suddenly, they might start to offer their own ver‐ Labovitz’s “Heruta’s Ruse: What We Mean When sions of Kabbalat Shabbat services as reprisal. We Talk about Desire” provides a reading of cer‐ Dorff’s past and present contributions to the un‐ tain Talmudic texts that involve sexual desire of derstanding of sexuality in the Conservative men, generally rabbis, toward women. Laura movement are of high significance, and a more Levitt’s “Love the One You’re With” is mostly a re- updated article would have been more appropri‐ reading of works by Judith Plaskow, Audre Lorde, ate to this groundbreaking collection.

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