Mitzvah —
155
A man must not have sexual relations with a beast
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וּבְכׇל־בְּהֵמָ֛ה לֹא־תִתֵּ֥ן שְׁכׇבְתְּךָ֖ לְטׇמְאָה־בָ֑הּ וְאִשָּׁ֗ה לֹֽא־תַעֲמֹ֞ד לִפְנֵ֧י בְהֵמָ֛ה לְרִבְעָ֖הּ תֶּ֥בֶל הֽוּא׃ - פָּרָשַׁת אַחֲרֵי מוֹת
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Leviticus 18:23 - "And with no animal shall you cohabit, to become defiled by it. And a woman shall not stand in front of an animal to cohabit with it; this is depravity."
This Mitzvah's Summary
מִצְוָה עֲשֵׂה - Positive Commandment
מִצְוָה לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה - Negative Commandment
Purity – טָהֳרָה
A man is forbidden from engaging in bestiality.
This mitzvah prohibits a man from having sexual relations with an animal. The Torah condemns such behavior as a perversion that defiles both the person and the sanctity of the community. Bestiality is considered among the gravest sexual sins, punishable by death, reflecting the Torah’s emphasis on preserving human dignity and holiness.
Commentary & Classical Explanation:
- Rambam (Hilchot Issurei Bi’ah 1:14): Lists bestiality as one of the arayot (forbidden relations) punishable by stoning.
- Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 204): The root is to uphold the unique holiness of human beings, created in the Divine image, and to prevent degradation through unnatural unions.
- Talmud (Sanhedrin 54a): Details the punishment for both the man and the animal, teaching that the act defiles creation itself.
Commentaries
(Source: Chabad.org)
