Brody's Scribbles... Leviticus, Judaism, Homosexuality, and a man named David

By Tim Trent (Bracknell, UK) Nov 14 | Over the past several years I have known of a paper, written by a Rabbi, regarding the biblical prohibitions on homosexuality. He showed me the paper a while after he had written it, telling me that I would not understand it, or even, perhaps, be interested in it.

It is a learned discussion, some of it very deep indeed, and with that in mind I introduce it to you with its title "Dear David", and its subtitle "Homosexual Relationships - A Halakhic Investigation". And some will be, as it was with me, way over our heads.

But the key message is that it is perfectly acceptable to be a religious Jew and homosexual.

There are simply some sexual practices which are not acceptable to the religious Jew.  But these practices are not universal with male homosexuals anyway. While the heterosexual vocal moral minority assumes that anal sex is the mainstay of homosexual sexual activity, studies have shown that a very great number of homosexual men would not ever practice and have not ever practiced anal sex in whichever role that may be.

This paper was strongly influential in the decision two years ago by Conservative Judaism to allow the ordination of openly gay Rabbis. It is a powerful paper, and deserves wide reading, whether one is Jewish, or, as I am, not Jewish. The Leviticus passage is used by religious christians as a stick with which to beat homosexuals, too. Understanding the Jewish reaction to it is important for christians, too. Jesus Christ was, after all, a Jew, and I think he was also a Rabbi.

The author is a knowledgeable man, quietly influential, and a recognised authority in his sphere. He is amazed at how widely the paper is read. But what amazes him more is that, while the English version has been reasonably widely promulgated on the internet, the Hebrew version gets a huge number of visits. He has not yet discovered where that version is publicised!

What he believes this means is that a great many questing Jews, homosexual and heterosexual alike, find the subject matter of Dear David to be of sufficient interest to visit and to spend time reading. And the search engines find it because, like Mount Everest, it is there.

Tim Trent is a Data & Privacy expert as well as an independent freelance marketing consultant based in Bracknell, UK. He is one of Europe 's leading experts in compliance with data privacy regulations, and is in the forefront of implementing Permission Based Marketing. He publishes regular articles on Data Protection.
A regular contributor to Brody's Notes & Scribbles, more of Tim's opinions can be found at his website, Marketing by Permission. [Linked Here]