"BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY"

of a man who sought permission for intercourse with a woman with whom he had become infatuated. The physicians whom he consulted agreed, but the rabbis objected. The physicians then suggested that she simply stand naked before him, but they rejected this as well. Then the physicians asked that he simply be permitted to speak to her, but they rejected this also and said that it was preferable that he die.'> One teacher claimed that the woman was married, while another stated that she was not, and so intercourse with her consent would be common-law marriage. The rabbis felt that such marriages needed to be discouraged through disciplinary means. Through homiletics the rabbis tried to apply similarly rigorous standards to women by stating that a woman who had intercourse with her husband while thinking of a man whom she had seen on the street was involved in adultery.”* Similarly Resh Lakish (250 C.E.) stated"Do not consider only a man who sins with his body an adulterer, it applies even to one who sins only with his eyes."'* We may compare this with the statement of Jesus"whoever looks at a woman and lusts after her, has already committed adultery in his heart.""’

The legislation designed to maintain this morality went far and did not permit a man to walk behind a woman, to listen to her voice, or even to look at her hair.'® In medieval times segregation of the sexes was also attempted, so Maimonides (1135-1204 C.E.) demanded that police be posted in public parks on festival days to keep men and women from eating and drinking together as that might lead to sin. Nor should men and women be permitted to mingle at parties in private homes.'” Later rabbis asked for separate days for men and women to visit the cemetery.'® Similarly segregation at public worship became a Jewish custom. The second Temple in Jerusalem already made special provision through a balcony built for women.'” Sometimes similar segregation was enforced in schools, at weddings, funerals, or other public religious gatherings.*

There were enough responsa and sermons on the topics of sexual problems to demonstrate that the efforts to maintain these stictures were often in vain; real life often took a different road. Similarly unnatural sexual relations were condemned” and various types of sexual immorality were ascribed to Israel 's enemies. Even that did not preclude similar behavior

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