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Progressive Halakhah and Homosexual Marriage 167

We have seen that normative zugiut from biblical to modern times has been heterosexual. We indicated that the mitzvah of procre­ation is almost exclusively fulfilled by heterosexual couples, whereas gays or lesbians may have offsprings only with difficulty. Kelal yisrael, the Covenant Community, means being concerned for Jews abroad, especially Progressive rabbis in Israel , whose struggle to officiate at marriages and conversions will undoubtedly be harmed by their colleagues in North America marrying two men or two women. We demonstrated the uncertainty of a compulsive orientation that might justify such action. For these and many other nimmukim, I concur with the decision of the CCAR Responsa Committee, that Reform rabbis should not officiate at ceremonies of marriage or“commitment” for same-sex couples.

Notes

1.“On Homosexual Marriage,” CCAR Journal, winter, 1998, pp. 5-35,(written

by the Chair of the Responsa Committee, Mark Washofsky).

2. Addenda and complementa. 3. Hilkhot Sanhedrin 24:10 4. The Responsa Committee(decision supra, note 1) mentions some of these

negative aspects(pp. 8-11), while showing more positive sides(pp. 12.4).

For the sources of this section, see Moshe Zemer , Evolving Halakhah, Ver­

aN

mont, 1999, p. 37 ff 6. Ibid. p. 44

Ibid. p. 45 8. See Jakob J. Petuchowski , Heirs of the Pharisees, New York, 1961, p. 174. 9. Exodus 20:12 and Deuteronomy 5:16

0. Leviticus 19:3; 1. See Shabbat 119b, Ibid. 10a; Mahzor Vitry 328; Responsa Jacob Weil 191 and

Responsa Divrei Rivot 361, among the many sources of this saying for differ­

ent mitzoot

2. Ibid., Rashi commentary.

3. S. Buber , ed., Midrash Tanhuma, Warsaw, 1878, Parashat B reishit 26. 4. Ibid. pp. 177-179.

5. See Zemer , supra, note 5, 53-55

6. R.C. Friedman and].I. Downey,“Homosexuality, ” New England Journal of

Medicine, October 6, 1994, vol., 131, no. 14, pp. 921-931.

Eruvin 14b; See Rashi to Berakhot 45b