06-26-2007, 05:57 AM
(This post was last modified: 07-26-2007, 05:05 PM by Director Michael.)
The Ramban (Nachmanides) interprets the verse in Genesis 2:24 "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and cling to his wife" as follows: a man's intimate relationship with a woman should be to cling in marriage in the manner of society, and not like an animal which mates with another animal of the opposite sex randomly. Thus since prostitution is not clinging in marriage but a random act for the sake of physical gratification only, one who frequents prostitutes transgresses on the directive that his intimate relations should be in clinging to a wife. See also 1 Kings 14:24 - "There was also prostitution in the land; they did all the abominations of the nations that G-d had driven out from before the Children of Israel." Thus G-d considers prostitution as an abomination for the nations also.
The Shulkhan Aruch (the Code of Jewish Law) comments that after the flood, the nations had accepted upon themselves a prohibition against prostitution. But Bilaam opened the gates of immorality by recommending that the people of Midian and Moab adandon their daughters to prostitution in order to ensnare the Jews in sin. (Book of Numbers)
The Noahide courts are responsible to close houses of prostitution and fine and punish those who transgress, in order to preserve morality. So prostitution is forbidden to Jews and Noahides alike.
The Shulkhan Aruch (the Code of Jewish Law) comments that after the flood, the nations had accepted upon themselves a prohibition against prostitution. But Bilaam opened the gates of immorality by recommending that the people of Midian and Moab adandon their daughters to prostitution in order to ensnare the Jews in sin. (Book of Numbers)
The Noahide courts are responsible to close houses of prostitution and fine and punish those who transgress, in order to preserve morality. So prostitution is forbidden to Jews and Noahides alike.
Rabbi Yitz