“Women who rub up against each other…”

Yevamot 76a deals with the consequences of engaging in sexual activities. Feelings of enhanced love or physical pleasure are positive consequences, but negative consequences exist as well. It can be physically or emotionally painful. Additionally, such behavior may taint a person’s reputation and even render him or her ineligible for certain privileges accorded to others. This text and its commentaries explore the possibility of a sexual relationship between two women. They establish the consequences of such behavior in regard to her status as a marriageable woman in Jewish society.

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Texts The Hebrew/Aramaic with an English translation, keywords and translation notes and a short description of the larger textual context of the passage Commentaries Classic and modern commentaries on the text, with short biographies of the commentators Analysis Brief essay analyzing the key issues and implications of the text and accompanying commentaries Study Questions Several questions to help you reflect on the text and its applications in the Jewish community