07-19-2017, 10:37 AM
Note: I am basing my comments and questions below on the descriptions of the prohibited relationships found here: https://asknoah.org/7-commandments/forbidden-relations
There appear to be three different "types" of prohibited relationships:
If so, could you explain the distinctions between the types? That is, why are they separated into different types in precisely this way? For example, here are some questions that this raises in my mind:
Thank you!
There appear to be three different "types" of prohibited relationships:
- There are six "forbidden" relationships (one's mother, one's father's wife, another man's wife, another male, an animal, and one's maternal sister).
- There is one relationship that is "universally accepted" as prohibited (one's daughter).
- There is one relationship that is an "abomination to G-d" (female-female).
If so, could you explain the distinctions between the types? That is, why are they separated into different types in precisely this way? For example, here are some questions that this raises in my mind:
- Are we to understand that, although all of the above relationships are bad, those of the first type (i.e. those that are "forbidden") are in some sense worse than the rest?
- Or perhaps since type 3 is called an "abomination", that implies it is actually the worse type?
- Maybe the distinction means relationships of type 2 and 3 could be appropriate under some very limited circumstances whereas those of type 1 are never appropriate?
- The second type is described as being "universally accepted" as prohibited. I assume this means that at some point in the past, essentially all humankind agreed not to engage in that type of relationship. Is such a decision by people in the past morally binding on people alive now or is it just a "very strong recommendation" on the basis of human experience? If it is morally binding, why so (that is, how does a decision by people in the past bind us morally today)?
- Why would a sin which is an abomination not also be categorized as "forbidden"? Or are all abominations implicitly forbidden?
- Which would be "worse": committing a sin that is an abomination, but isn't forbidden (female-female relationship), or committing a forbidden sin that isn't capital (maternal sister relationship)?
Thank you!