We Jews have
always appreciated the importance and centrality of a strong family unit.
In the areas of sexuality and the relationship between men and
women, we see that Judaism introduced some very significant innovations. Judaism was therefore unique in the world when
it came out and forbade homosexuality, pederasty, bestiality, and
The World's First Sexual Revolution
Dennis Prager, a well-known American writer and speaker on Jewish topics, had this to
say about the subject:
"Man's nature, undisciplined by values, will allow sex to dominate his life and
the life of society. When Judaism demanded that all sexual activity be channeled into
marriage it changed the world. It is not overstated to say that the Torah's prohibition of
non-marital sex made the creation of western civilization possible. Societies that did not
place boundaries around sexuality were stymied in their development. The subsequent
dominance of the Western world can, to a significant extent, be attributed to the sexual
revolution initiated by Judaism an later carried forward by Christianity."
Dennis Prager. Ultimate Issues. Vol. 6, No.
2, April-June 1990
That's
probably the only time you'll ever hear anyone refer to monogamy as a sexual revolution.
Compared to Greek and Roman culture, it really was a revolution and one that had a
profound impact, not just on the stability of the family, but on society as a whole.
This obviously has tremendous implications for the status of women in society.
In addition, Jewish law mandates that a man must love and respect his wife. He even has a
legal obligation to satisfy her sexually. Not doing so is grounds for divorce in Jewish
law.
Maimonides says in his section on the Jewish laws of marriage:
"And so our rabbis decreed that a man should honor his wife more than himself and
love her as much as he loves himself."
MAIMONIDES. MISHNA TORAH,"Laws of
Marriage." 15:19
Remember the Greek poet Palladus?
" Marriage brings a man only two happy days: the day he takes his bride to bed and
the day he lays her in her grave. "
What a difference. It's important not to underestimate the power of
these Jewish ideas about relationship and their impact on the world.
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