Israels Priesthood view on Homosexuality

Israels priesthood view on Homosexuality is in line with the divine word of the priestly code – Sefer Vayikra ספר ויקרא – the third book of the Torah (Hebrew bible) Chapter 18 verse 22.

The verse reads as follows וְאֶת זָכָר לֹא תִשְׁכַּב מִשְׁכְּבֵי אִשָּׁה תּוֹעֵבָה הִוא – loosely translated as “And a man you should not have sexual relations with a man (lit. ‘lay’) as is done with a woman, it is an abomination”.

The Torah, the divine law of the God Israel as presented to our nation by Moses on Mount Sinai thus bars this behavior. Such is the view of the kehuna – Israel’s priesthood.

The original Hebrew term description for this act is תועבה, from the source word תעב (lit. ‘disgusting’. The Hebrew linguist Malbim understood this word as a descriptive with a bit more weight than standard hatred – such is the description of this act in the bible. It can be understood as such in the eyes of the general population as much as the eyes of the divine.

Homosexuality among non Jews

Such is the prohibition as it applies to the Jewish people of Israel. With regards to the nations of the world, the priesthood likewise takes a dim view along the lines of the tannaic words of Rabbi Elazar in the name of Rabbi Hanina as quoted in the Jerusalem Talmud (Tractate Kidushin Ch. 1) based on the biblical verse of Genesis Chapter 2 verse 24 עַל כֵּן יַעֲזָב אִישׁ אֶת אָבִיו וְאֶת אִמּוֹ וְדָבַק בְּאִשְׁתּוֹ וְהָיוּ לְבָשָׂר אֶחָד;

רבי לעזר בשם רבי חנינה מניין שבני נח מוזהרין על עריות כישראל? תלמוד לומר ודבק באשתו ולא באשת חבירו, ודבק באשתו ולא בזכור ולא בבהמה. To translate ” Rabbi Elazar in the name of Rabbi Hanina; From where (in the Torah do we source the instruction) that the sons of Noah (meaning non Jewish people of the world) are warned to refrains from Incest as is Israel? Comes (the biblical verse) to teach “ודבק באשתו” – and he shall cleave to his wife” – and not to the wife of his friend. “And he shall cleave to his wife” and not to a man, nor to an animal.