Heavenly Sex: Sexuality and the Jewish Tradition - Hardcover

Westheimer, Ruth K.; Mark, Jonathan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0814792685 ISBN 13: 9780814792681

Publisher: NYU Press, 1995

Synopsis

Dr. Ruth bridges the gap between sex and religion.

In this light-hearted, lively tour of sexuality within Jewish religion and culture, Dr. Ruth Westheimer and Jonathan Mark team up to reveal how, contrary to popular wisdom, the Jewish tradition is much more progressive in many regards than one might think.

Applying Dr. Ruth's unique brand of couples therapy to such Biblical relationships as Abraham and Sarah, and Joseph and Potiphar's wife, the authors enlist Biblical lore to cover such topics as surrogacy, incest, and arranged marriages. They offer a clearer understanding of the intertwining relationships between sexuality, spirituality, and sexual roles through a look at the latter books of the Bible—The Song of Songs, Ruth, Proverbs, Psalms, and some of the bawdier tales of the Prophets. One chapter provides a provocative metaphorical perspective on the Sabbath as a weekly revival, highlighting not only its spiritual, but its marital and sexual aspects as well.

Focusing specifically on Orthodox forms of Judaism and offering Dr. Ruth's singular interpretations, the book answers such questions as: What night of the week is best for making love? How often should couples have sex? Can traditional Jewish notions of sex and sexuality be reconciled with contemporary beliefs? What roles can and do dreams and fantasy play?

Heavenly Sex familiarizes the reader with a generous and lusty religious tradition that has too often been lost within the rubric of a larger Christian culture with a completely different view of sexuality.

About this title

About the Author:

Dr. Ruth Westheimer, a Holocaust survivor who emigrated to Israel as a seventeen year-old orphan, is an Adjunct Associate Professor at New York University. Widely known as Dr. Ruth, the host of a variety of television and radio shows, she is the driving force behind a one-hour documentary on the Beta Israel, the author of five books, and has taught at Adelphi University, Columbia University, and West Point.

From Booklist:

America's favorite sex therapist, probably best known for making the word orgasm a TV talk show favorite, collaborates with Jewish Week editor Mark in a more significant accomplishment--a thoughtful study of the role of sexuality in Judaica. The two use an array of sources for their inquiries and discussions: interpretations of the Talmud, such customs as the ritual bath, and the Bible's commandments are the principal ones. Particularly interesting is the reading of the Book of Ruth as a primer for sex therapy, but then, a Dr. Ruth book can be expected to conclude that healthy sexual activity between consenting adults is a bracha (blessing). This positive reading of Jewish erotic traditions does not prevent the frank discussion of troubling issues, such as, especially, the Hebrew Bible's condemnation of homosexuality. A topical glossary collocates biblical quotations on such matters as kissing, modesty, and lewd behavior. Public libraries should add this book to ensure that yeshiva students not be the only ones to discover how fascinating Torah study can be. Aaron Cohen

About this edition

• Publisher: NYU Press
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 0814792685
• ISBN 13: 9780814792681
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 195