Mitzvah —
159
Not to have homosexual sexual relations with your father's brother
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עֶרְוַ֥ת אֲחִֽי־אָבִ֖יךָ לֹ֣א תְגַלֵּ֑ה אֶל־אִשְׁתּוֹ֙ לֹ֣א תִקְרָ֔ב דֹּדָֽתְךָ֖ הִֽוא׃ - פָּרָשַׁת אַחֲרֵי מוֹת
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Leviticus 18:14 - "You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's brother you shall not come near his wife; she is your aunt."
This Mitzvah's Summary
מִצְוָה עֲשֵׂה - Positive Commandment
מִצְוָה לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה - Negative Commandment
Family – מִשְׁפָּחָה
Forbidden for a man to have homosexual relations with his paternal uncle.
This mitzvah prohibits homosexual relations with one’s father’s brother. While the verse speaks directly of the uncle’s wife, the Sages derive that the uncle himself is equally forbidden under the broader prohibitions of incest and homosexuality. This combines the severity of both categories—arayot (forbidden unions) and homosexual immorality—making it a particularly grave violation.
Commentary & Classical Explanation:
- Rambam (Hilchot Issurei Bi’ah 1:15): Includes homosexual relations with close male relatives, such as an uncle, in the laws of incest.
- Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 211): The root is to maintain the sanctity of family ties and prevent unnatural and forbidden unions.
- Talmud (Sanhedrin 54a–54b): Derives these prohibitions through Torah exegesis, equating the severity of homosexual incest to other capital offenses.
Commentaries
(Source: Chabad.org)
