פרושי רב יהודה החסיד
מה שאסרה תורה לשכב את זכר ושלא לרבע את הבהמה הכל בעבור שישאו נשים ויקיימו פריה ורבייה, אף על פי שאילו איסור סקילה וזה רק עשה התורה הוצרכה לעשות סייג גדול
Why did the Torah prohibit sexual intercourse between males or between humans and animals? All this is in order that men marry women and fulfill the command to be fruitful and multiply. And even though [this prohibition of male intercourse] carries with it capital punishment and the duty to procreate is just a positive command, the Torah deemed it necessary to [prohibit male intercourse so strongly in order to] guard the law [of procreation] by erecting a [legal] fence around it.
[Translation by Rabbi Steven Greenberg]
Suggested Discussion Questions:
1. What are R. Yehudah HeHasid's implicit assumptions regarding male sexual desire?
2. What concerns or fears does this rationale highlight?
Time Period: Medieval (Geonim through the 16th Century)