Religion, Sex & Gender

Get Yer F*ck On

Are you permitted to have premarital sex in Judaism?

According to an article by Professor Tzvi Zohar of Bar Ilan University, which has aroused fervent debate in religious Zionist circles, the answer is yes, but only if the relationship is based on mutual respect and the woman immerses herself in a mikve [ritual bath].

The better question is, who didn’t already know that? Isn’t that, like, the first question every BT asks?

13 thoughts on “Get Yer F*ck On

  1. But the force of Jewish tradition is a powerful authority, regardless of what can be pryed out of the texts. Free love is only 2 generations in, after hundreds of years of sex only being allowed within marriage. By all means get your fuck on, but why bother with permission from medieval texts?

  2. medievel texts magically shield me from the curses of the sages of today. Lasw magic is powerful, but old precedent and/or justification can set my people free from the serpentile attacks of the rabbis.

  3. medievel texts magically shield me from the curses of the sages of today. Lasw magic is powerful, but old precedent and/or justification can set my people free from the serpentile attacks of the rabbis.

  4. Get yourselves Pelegesh-ing http://www.pilegesh.blogspot.com/
    also http://www.xlubi.com/x5sex.htm
    1.Jewish woman
    2. Who keeps the ‘Laws of purity’ (as would a married woman)
    3. Has made a Halachic Vow to be monogamous to her chosen spouse
    4. Does not live or move into the house of that spouse, but has her own accommodation
    5.a. Is not married Under the Chuppa (or engaged) or any other way
    5.b. Is not bound by any legal or monetary contract to her spouse
    6. Does not have a history of ‘sleeping around’
    7. She may have children from her spouse and they are Not considered illegitimate
    8. If she wished to end the relationship, all she has to do is break her vow (a Halachic problem? –but not
    as big as aguna!)
    9. Once she has broken her vow she is forbidden to return to her previous spouse/s

  5. To rain on the sex parade, here’s the fine print:
    Can’t use a condom. Birth control pills and herbs are ok, cervial covers too, but safe sex, we’d need some new mystical legislation for.
    You are financially responsible for any kids that come out of the bargain. Is the sex really worth it? If you’re lucky!

  6. i’m pretty sure it is… i’m like the worst scholar in the world when it comes to giving sources, but unbelieveably accurate at describing the actual tradition.

  7. By the way, what’s being described sounds very similar to a practise that is conducted amongst Shi’i Muslims which is called Nikāħu l-Muta. 2 People basically sign a ‘ketubah’ saying that they will be married for, say 2 weeks. During that time they can have sexual relations. Its also used as a loophole for prostitution in Iran to protect both the brothels, and the men who frequent them. For more info check this Wikipedia article.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mut'a_marriage
    Interestingly, this temporary marriage is often used not for 2 people to get it on without losing their religious credentials, but for a member of the opposite sex being allowed to hang out with people or a family without having to bother with modesty dress codes (because they are now technically part of the family)!!

  8. The reaction to this article by so called “halachic Jews” is proof that often people who say they are committed halacha are really committed to social conservatism.

  9. Who says marriage, halachic-ly, needs to have the kavanah (intention) of being forever (to the best of one’s intentions)? To really put a “D-oh!” in the craw of jewish social conservatives, how ’bout trial or temporary, b’di-eved (beforehand), marriages? That is to say, get halachically married for the sole purpose of halachically sanctioned sex, and then agree to divorce, say, after the weekend or summer or college term? Of course, once the ex-wife, marries another, she can no longer be with the ex-husband, but the only holdback I see in this would be the $450 fee for a scribe to write up the get.

  10. Ariel, other setbacks would be, If she does this regularly for, say, week long periods at a time, and gets pregnant. She could end up not being allowed to marry the father of her children. She also stands the risk of getting tricked into a life long relationship, if the husband decides he doesn’t want to give a get. Besides the little problem called a kesubah, which would probably discourage most men from making such a deal. I think Marriage is best left for people who actually want to be married. It’s probably better to just fool around before marriage and send the girl to mikvah than possibly screw up someones life for ever. Although there is such an agreement mentioned in the gemarah, were a couple gets married on the condition that it’s only for a set period of time.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.