They Called It Holy

They Called It Holy brings to light the work of two medieval giants of Jewish thought, Ravad and Ramban, on the subject of sexuality. The Torah views the union of a married couple to be a holy religious fulfilment of God’s will. The reader will find refreshing insights applicable to everyday Jewish life. “Within the confines of the Jewish tradition, marital intimacy and indeed sexuality as a whole were normally not matters of public discussion. Rooted in the time-honored values of tzniyut, this laudable reticence led to an unfortunate and erroneous conclusion that Judaism regarded marital relations as somehow dirty, improper or shameful, and something to be avoided. At best, it could be tolerated as a concession to human weakness, but ideally, celibacy would be the preferred holier state.” “In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. Intentional celibacy is actually sinful; marriage is an elevated state of spirituality, and within marriage, intimacy in particular was seen as a vehicle to bring Divine blessing into the world. If the tradition has been reticent, it is because of the holiness of intimacy, not its shame.”