Culture, Identity, Religion, Sex & Gender

In our mouths and in our hearts: Day 15

Today: Priests and beasts.
(Introduction.)
166. “A mamzer shall not enter the congregation of God; even the tenth generation shall not enter the congregation of God.” (Deuteronomy 23:3) = someone born into an illicit relationship can’t marry another Jew
167. “No one whose testes are crushed or whose member is cut off shall enter the congregation of God.” (Deuteronomy 23:2)
168. “You shall not do this in your land.” (Leviticus 22:24) = castration
169. “A widow … [the high priest] shall not marry.” (Leviticus 21:14)
170. “…and he shall not profane his offspring among his kin.” (Leviticus 21:15) = the high priest can’t have sex with a widow even if they’re not married
171. “[The high priest] shall marry a woman who is a virgin.” (Leviticus 21:13)
172. “[Priests] shall not marry a woman divorced from her husband.” (Leviticus 21:7)
173. “A woman who is a prostitute … [priests] shall not marry.” (Leviticus 21:7)
174. “A woman who is profaned, [priests] shall not marry.” (Leviticus 21:7) = born into one of the relationships forbidden for priests (e.g. #169, #172) and thus forbidden to marry a priest
175. “None of you shall go near anyone of his/her own flesh to uncover nakedness.” (Leviticus 18:6) = any of the forbidden relationships, even if there’s no sex per se
176. “These are the creatures that you may eat from among all the land animals: any animal that has true hoofs, with clefts through the hoofs, and chews its cud — such you may eat.” (Leviticus 11:2-3) = examine mammals to distinguish between permitted and forbidden
177. “You may eat any clean bird.” (Deuteronomy 14:11) = examine birds to distinguish between permitted and forbidden
178. “These you may eat of all that live in water: anything in water, whether in the seas or in the streams, that has fins and scales — these you may eat.” (Leviticus 11:9) = examine fish to distinguish between permitted and forbidden
179. “These you may eat among all the winged swarming things that walk on fours: all that have, above their feet, jointed legs to leap with on the ground.” (Leviticus 11:21) = examine insects to distinguish between permitted and forbidden
180. “The following you shall not eat:” (Leviticus 11:4) = any mammals that don’t both chew their cud and have split hoofs

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