Q&A: Having Sexual Relations with an Unmarried Woman
Having Sexual Relations with an Unmarried Woman
Question
The Rabbi wrote in Moves Among the Standing, page 541, as follows:
“A married man is permitted to have sexual relations with another unmarried woman.”
Does the Rabbi rule this as Jewish law in practice? Because in the book there is no qualification at all. It says it is permitted.
Answer
What does “in practice” mean? There is no halakhic prohibition other than the regular prohibition involving an unmarried woman (the fact that he is married makes no difference). Of course I do not recommend it at all.
Discussion on Answer
Jewish law is part of Judaism. There is much more beyond that.
There is the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), there is the Jewish people, there is Jewish morality, Jewish spirituality, Jewish mysticism, Jewish psychology, speaking with the Creator of the world . . .
You don’t need a whole day of study to understand this. I’m saying that his being married does not change the prohibition that applies to him, unlike a woman, whose marriage prohibits her to everyone else. That’s all.
I don’t understand. What is novel about saying that a married woman’s marriage prohibits her to everyone else? A married man is in any case forbidden to unmarried women as well—what difference does it make to me whether it is the prohibition of an unmarried woman or a married woman?
In the paragraph I quoted, you are not talking about marriage but about sexual relations.
What is the prohibition involving an unmarried woman? And if there is a prohibition, why did you write that it is permitted? Permitted, but there is a prohibition?