Judaism & Sexual Relationships (Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B): Revision Note
Jewish teachings on the nature & importance of sexual relationships
Marriage is seen as a spiritual, emotional, and intellectual union between two people
It fulfils God's commandment in the Torah
When God created the first human, he said ‘It is not good for the man to be alone’ (Genesis 2:18) and therefore created Eve, the first woman, as a companion for Adam
The Torah makes it clear that the close union of a sexual relationship should be between a husband and wife, for this is where they become ‘one flesh’
‘Hence a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, so that they become one flesh’ (Genesis 2: 24)
Maimonides stated that whereas the mating of animals is a purely physical and temporary act, through the sanctification of marriage, husband and wife become the closest of relatives
Judaism sees marriage as a sacred thing, and the first step of the marriage process is called kiddushin, meaning holy or sanctified
To many Jews, marriage is therefore the rightful place for sexual relationships
Through a loving sexual relationship within marriage, the couple fulfil God’s command to 'be fruitful and multiply' (Genesis 1:22)
Family life is very important in Judaism and having children promotes family life and enables the couple to pass on the faith to the next generation
There are divergent approaches to sexual relationships outside marriage within Judaism
Orthodox Jews would take a more traditional approach and would tend not to cohabit
They would see sex outside of marriage as wrong
The correct place for sex is within marriage
Reform and Liberal Jews would recognise that while marriage is considered the ideal state for a sexual relationship between a couple, cohabitation and sex before marriage could happen
They would still consider it important that a sexual relationship is within a committed and faithful relationship
Jewish attitudes towards homosexuality
Homosexuality and same-sex marriage is a divisive issue in Judaism
In Leviticus (18:22), Jews are told: 'Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman'
Many Jews, especially Orthodox Jews, see this verse as forbidding homosexual relations and same-sex marriage
However, some Jews would point to the idea that humans are made in the image of God:
‘God created mankind in his own image’ (Genesis 1:27)
They would say that people have been created homosexual, therefore it is a natural state and must be acceptable to God
Some Jews would differentiate between inclination and practice
This means that while it is not wrong to be homosexual and a Jew, some may choose not to be sexually active and instead practise celibacy so as not to go against religious teachings
Non-religious attitudes towards same-sex marriage
In Great Britain today, social attitudes have changed greatly over the past 50 years
Homosexuality is widely accepted in society and in Great Britain, same-sex couples are permitted to enter into civil partnerships and marriages with the same legal rights as opposite-sex couples
Non-religious people including Atheists and Humanists would say that people should make their own choices for how they conduct their sexual relationships, as long as they are acting responsibly
These people would argue that:
homosexuality is natural
same-sex marriage is legal and acceptable in society
opposing homosexuality adds to intolerance and homophobia which damages society and hurts others
contraception is widely available and therefore everyone can make safe and sensible decisions for themselves about their sex lives
Jewish responses to non-religious attitudes
Some Orthodox Jews use teachings from the Torah and religious traditions to oppose same-sex marriage
However, there is a growing realisation among Orthodox Jews that members of the faith who are homosexual should be welcomed and supported
Liberal and Reform Jews have long supported same-sex marriage
Now that it is legal in the UK, they hold same-sex weddings in their synagogues
Masorti Jews also accept same-sex marriage
Some synagogues offer same-sex couples a shutafut, which is a partnership ceremony for same-sex couples
It is not the same as the traditional kiddushin, it has been designed specifically for same-sex marriages and civil partnerships
The matter is left to the individual rabbis’ conscience on each occasion in all Jewish traditions
The rabbi can choose not to hold same-sex marriage or shutafut if their conscience does not permit
A group representing the Jewish community of Denver walking in the Denver PrideFest parade on June 23, 2024 is licensed under CC BY 4.0
Jewish attitudes towards sexual relationships outside marriage
What are non-religious attitudes towards sexual relationships outside marriage?
Since Great Britain today is a liberal society, sexual relationships outside marriage, including premarital sex, are widely accepted
Non-religious people including Atheists and Humanists would say that people should make their own choices about their sexual partners
They would say that many religious attitudes are outdated and not relevant to modern society
Many non-religious people cohabit (live together) before getting married or simply commit themselves to one another without feeling the need to have a wedding ceremony at all
Premarital sex gives a couple a chance to see whether they are compatible with each other as life partners
Adultery is not illegal
Jewish responses to divergent & non-religious views about sex outside marriage
There are divergent approaches to sexual relationships outside marriage within Judaism
Orthodox Jews would take a more traditional approach. They would consider the correct place for sex to be within marriage and therefore would see sex outside of marriage as wrong
Most would not support cohabitation or sex before marriage
Reform and Liberal Jews would recognise that while marriage is considered the ideal state for a sexual relationship between a couple, cohabitation and sex before marriage could happen
They would still consider it important that it is within a committed and faithful relationship
Worked Example
Outline three Jewish beliefs about sexual relationships
(3 marks)
First, Jews believe that through sexual union a couple become ‘one flesh’ (1 mark)
Second, they believe that the best place for sexual relationships is within marriage (1 mark)
Third, they believe that through sexual relationships they fulfil God’s command to ‘be fruitful and multiply’ (1 mark)
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Answering 3 mark (a) questions should be easy. As long as you can give three different responses, you don’t need to elaborate on any of them. One short sentence for each point is enough.
However, make sure you make your different responses very clear to the examiner so that they can be easily understood as three different points. The answer above shows one way to do this: the use of ‘first’, ‘second’ and ‘third’ in each response.
Another useful tip is to start each new point on a new line. You can also use numbers or bullet points to show your different answers
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