Female Homosexuality (cont.)
Hi, this is a follow up on the female homosexuality question from a few days ago. Thank you for responding, I’ll try to be more specific. From the teshuvot I’ve read it looks like there’s a prohibition against women being nasim mesolelot and a second prohibition against their following the ways of Egypt/marrying each other. Obviously women can do physical activities like holding hands and can have relationships that share a few things in common with marriages, like sharing housing, but there are physical actions that obviously go too far/violate nasim mesolelot, and there are relationships that obviously resemble marriage closely/violate כמעשה ארץ מצרים. I understand the categories broadly, but haven’t been able to find a source that explains what the criteria are for either prohibition. I’m becoming unsure that it exists really. I’ve asked the question unsuccessfully but am uncomfortable involving the remaining people I would ask.
Sorry for the repeated question, thanks in advance.
Answers
One of the Talmud’s definitions of lesbianism is “pritzuta” meaning licentiousness, or illicit sexuality. That would include all kinds of sexual activity – not just sexual relations. That means that two women living together as a couple would be forbidden even if they were careful to limit their sexual activity. That would also mean that a non-sexual hug would be permitted however, if the same hug had sexual overtones it would be forbidden.
Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team