Ethics In Judaism

Superior Essays
The Jewish ethical teachings and and mitzvots include many literal or more metaphorical rules that very much affect an adherents day to day life. Few such aspects of an adherents life that are heavily influenced by the Jewish code are the areas of life relating to sexuality and the human sexual anatomy. Areas such as; Sexual intercourse, divorce, premarital sex, purity, abortion, homosexuality and contraception are all concepts discussed within the Torah and Jewish communities. Many Jewish laws and beliefs regarding these topics have adapted and changed since their conception, though just as many are firmly grounded by their roots in Judaism.

Under the Jewish code of law sex is sanctified when performed under the correct circumstances. These
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Marriage in considered the highest form of existence as it might been seen as a return to the ideal of Adam and Eve prior to them being separated. Genesis 2:18 says “It is not good for a man to be alone; I will make a fitting helper for him”. Regarding this, divorce is permitted in Jewish law, though is very frowned upon, and sometimes shunned, as it is believed to be against God’s wishes. Sanhedrin (22a) says “Even God shares a tear when anyone divorces his wife”. A Jewish bill of divorce is referred to as a ‘get’, and all a man had to do to make the divorce legal was hand a get to his wife. A woman on the other hand could only appeal to have her husband convinced to get a divorce. Deuteronomy 24:1 states: “When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his house.” Therefore, since a wife cannot obtain a case of divorce unless there is irrefutable evidence that her husband is dead, there are cases wherein a man might offer his wife a conditional divorce before he goes to war, which outlines the circumstances under which he may be presumed dead. The Jewish tradition has extended its laws regarding women and divorces. Originally a man could divorce his wife for any reason without her consent. As it is nowadays, both parties must consent for the divorce to be

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