Hello,
Today we will deal with the conclusion of chapter six of the book Brit Shalom, which addresses the laws of forbidden sexual relations (arayot).
Here there are recommended forms of conduct in addition to the explicit prohibitions stated in the Torah, which are six, as we discussed: one’s mother, one’s father’s wife, a married woman, one’s sister, male–male relations, and relations with animals. There is also a much longer list of forbidden sexual relations in the book of Leviticus, chapter 18.
Although not all of the forbidden relations mentioned there are prohibited to the descendants of Noah, the Torah refers to them as the “abominations of Canaan.” Therefore it is written here that, beyond these prohibitions, it is proper to guard oneself from all the forbidden relations detailed in Leviticus chapter 18, the abominations of Canaan. In addition, there is another matter not mentioned explicitly there: sexual relations between a woman and a woman, which are called the “abomination of Egypt.”
We also see that in the list of praises of the nations of the world mentioned in Tractate Chullin in the Talmud, there is a very interesting point: the Sages praised the nations in that, even though there were those among them who stumbled in the prohibition of male–male relations, they refrained from institutionalizing it. That is, even when same-sex relations existed in society, they did not make any official registration of them—unlike what is unfortunately accepted today in parts of the Western world.
Also, in the court of Shem son of Noah, a prohibition was decreed against prostitution. Although prostitution involves an unmarried woman and is, in principle, not forbidden by the laws of Noah, it is not fitting, and the court of Shem prohibited it.
Likewise, there is also a prohibition of sexual relations between descendants of Noah and Israelites. It is written here briefly that it is forbidden for an Israelite to have sexual relations with a daughter of Noah, and likewise it is forbidden for a daughter of Israel to have sexual relations with a son of Noah.
Another matter related to this subject is vulgar speech. There is much coarse language that people sometimes use which is connected to the degradation of sexual immorality. Therefore it is written here: one should not use vulgar speech regarding forbidden sexual relations, because in doing so a person degrades himself instead of elevating himself.
