Open the Gates of Righteousness for Me: Toward a New Reading of the Torah in Light of the New Status of Gays and Lesbians in the Jewish Community

This essay begins with a declaration of its basic premises. The first premise (Premise 1) is that homosexuals and heterosexuals are equally endowed with the blessing of human sexuality and with the obligation to express that blessing in a holy manner. This essay will not attempt to prove this premise. There is a vast literature that considers all sides of this position, accepting it, rejecting it or modifying it. While this essay accepts the truth of this premise, it recognizes that the issue is controversial.

In fact, the very existence of the contemporary debate about homosexuality should be recognized as having special meaning.  It is only in recent decades that we have seen the Jewish world devote increased attention to the place of gays and lesbians in the community. It is probably accurate to say that homosexuality was viewed as some sort of aberration by the overwhelming number of Jewish individuals and institutions a generation ago, and that even those who did not share such a view accepted its normative status as a given. Such is not the case today. The question of accepting gays and lesbians into the community has taken on a new urgency across the spectrum of the Jewish community. Thus, no matter what one’s position on the question, it must be acknowledged that the raising of the question is a very new development in the social and religious history of the Jews. For those who accept Premise 1, this ferment is indicative of a profound forward step in our consciousness. A new apprehension is dawning.