Masturbation in Jewish Law and Thought 9th grade Jewish Outlook, Kohelet Yeshiva

(1) About that time Judah left his brothers and camped near a certain Adullamite whose name was Hirah. (2) There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua, and he married her and cohabited with her. (3) She conceived and bore a son, and he named him Er. (4) She conceived again and bore a son, and named him Onan. (5) Once again she bore a son, and named him Shelah; he was at Chezib when she bore him. (6) Judah got a wife for Er his first-born; her name was Tamar. (7) But Er, Judah’s first-born, was displeasing to the LORD, and the LORD took his life. (8) Then Judah said to Onan, “Join with your brother’s wife and do your duty by her as a brother-in-law, and provide offspring for your brother.” (9) But Onan, knowing that the seed would not count as his, let it go to waste whenever he joined with his brother’s wife, so as not to provide offspring for his brother. (10) What he did was displeasing to the LORD, and He took his life also.

(10) When you go out as a troop against your enemies, be on your guard against anything untoward. (11) If anyone among you has been rendered unclean by a nocturnal emission, he must leave the camp, and he must not reenter the camp. (12) Toward evening he shall bathe in water, and at sundown he may reenter the camp. (13) Further, there shall be an area for you outside the camp, where you may relieve yourself. (14) With your gear you shall have a spike, and when you have squatted you shall dig a hole with it and cover up your excrement. (15) Since the LORD your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you, let your camp be holy; let Him not find anything unseemly among you and turn away from you.

MISHNAH. EVERY HAND THAT MAKES FREQUENT EXAMINATION IS IN THE CASE OF WOMEN PRAISEWORTHY, BUT IN THE CASE OF MEN IT OUGHT TO BE CUT OFF.

GEMARA. Wherein [in this respect] do women differ from men? — Women [in this matter] who do not feel any sensation when they check, they are praiseworthy, but in the case of men who do feel an sensation, [their hands] ought to be cut off.

[Reverting to] the main text: 'R. Eliezer said, Whoever holds his penis when he urinates is as though he had brought a flood on the world'. But, they said to R. Eliezer, won't he get drops of urine on his feet? People might think this is because his private parts are maimed and people might think that his children aren't really his, but rather illegitimate! —

It is preferable, he answered them, that a man should be the cause of casting upon his children the reflection of being illegitimate than that he should make himself a wicked man, even for a moment, before God.

Another [Baraita] taught: R. Eliezer replied to the Sages. It is possible for a man to stand on a raised spot and urinate or to urinate in loose earth and thus to avoid making himself wicked, even for a moment, before God.

...they asked him, 'What is he to do when he can't find a raised spot or loose earth?', he answered them, 'It is preferable that a man should be the cause of casting upon his children the reflection of being illegitimate than that he should make himself a wicked man, even for a moment, before God'.

Why all these precautions? —

Because otherwise one might emit semen in vain, and Rabbi Yochanan stated: Whoever emits semen in vain deserves death, for it is said in Scripture. And the thing which he did was evil in the sight of the Lord, and He slew him also.

Rav Yitzchak and R. Ammi said. He is as though he shed blood, for it is said in Scripture. You that arouse yourselves among the trees, under every leafy tree, that slay the children in the valleys under the clefts of the rocks; read not 'that slay' but 'that press out'.

Rav Assi said: He is like one who worships idols; for here it is written, 'Under every leafy tree' and elsewhere it is written, upon the high mountains … and under every leafy tree.

Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: A Torah scholar on whose clothes a fat stain is found is liable to receive the death penalty, as it is stated: “All those who hate me love death” (Proverbs 8:36), and the Sages said: Do not read: Those who hate me [mesanai]. Rather, read: Those who cause me to be hated [masniai]. Those who cause people to hate the Torah by creating the impression that those who study Torah are unclean deserve the death penalty.

Rav stated: 'A man who willfully causes erection should be placed under a ban'.

But why did he not say, 'This is forbidden'?

Because the man merely incites his evil inclination against himself.

Rabbi Ammi, however, stated: He is called a renegade, because such is the art of the evil inclination: Today it incites man to do one wrong thing, and tomorrow it incites him to worship idols and he proceeds to worship them. There are others who read: Rabbi Ammi stated, He who excites himself by lustful thoughts will not be allowed to enter the division of the Holy One, blessed be He. For here it is written, Was evil in the sight of the Lord, and elsewhere it is written, For Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness; evil shall not sojourn with Thee.

Rabbi Eleazar stated: Who are referred to in the Scriptural text, Your hands are full of blood? Those that "commit adultery" (i.e. masturbate) with their hands.

It was taught at the school of Rabbi Ishmael, Thou shalt not commit adultery implies, Thou shalt not practice masturbation either with hand or with foot.

The Gemara relates: Those captive women who were brought to Neharde’a, where they were redeemed, were brought up to the house of Rav Amram the Pious. They removed the ladder from before them to prevent men from climbing up after them to the attic where they were to sleep. When one of them passed by the entrance to the upper chamber, it was as though a light shone in the aperture due to her great beauty. Out of his desire for her, Rav Amram grabbed a ladder that ten men together could not lift, lifted it on his own and began climbing. When he was halfway up the ladder, he strengthened his legs against the sides of the ladder to stop himself from climbing further, raised his voice, and cried out: There is a fire in the house of Amram. Upon hearing this, the Sages came and found him in that position. They said to him: You have embarrassed us, since everyone sees what you had intended to do. Rav Amram said to them: It is better that you be shamed in Amram’s house in this world, and not be ashamed of him in the World-to-Come. He took an oath that his evil inclination should emerge from him, and an apparition similar to a pillar of fire emerged from him. He said to his evil inclination: See, as you are fire and I am mere flesh, and yet, I am still superior to you, as I was able to overcome you.