Talmud Bavli tractate Shabbat 65a, also tractate Yevamot 76a, and also Yad Hachazakah of the Rambam (Maimonides) hilchot Issurei Biah 21:8 who calls it "maaseh Eretz Mitzrayim" acting immorally like the Egyptians.

Both Torah shebichtav (Bible) and Torah shebaal-peh (Talmud) is mandatory for every Jew, both religious and secular.

Comparing lesbians [ and Gays ] to rapists , murderers shows only the low level of your arguments . Secondly , miriam comes with her old books . Let god [ he exists for believing persons ] judge those people , not you with your books . i'm sure they will not be condemned by him . They at least are sincere , don't hide anything .

#2, I won't say you're full of #2, but maybe you can elaborate a bit and share with us - > So far I recall seing on this website horrendous and hateful comments par religious men about homosexuality ! ( an abomination they says , thus citing verses of the scriptures).. And uh, quoting scriptures is *HATE*??? How? Is this an example of your esteemed "tolerance"? #12, they will keep the torah but only those commandments that they think are important. You confused between Torah & Baskin Robbins? We don't follow just what we like and that which we don't do (skip a minyan or whatever) we acknowledge as our own flaw...

Upfront let me say that I will hold my observance of the Torah to anyone of you talkbackers. Unlike you so called "religious talkbackers" I know that I can not judge anyone's actions. I am not G-d, nor do I believe that any one Rabbi is G-d. I do know that G-d will judge everyone of us for our actions, wether it is a sin in the nature of Man and Gd or Man to Man. I also know that G-d will forgive sins between Man and G-d if we repent. I also know that G-d will not grant forgiveness of man to man sins until one ask forgiveness of the person he did ill to. Thus, all you talkbackers who constantly pour out venom against other people in the name of G-d, better start asking for forgiveness because the Chillul Hashem by your Sinat Chinam is going to bring you down and destroy the rest of us.

It's a pity you didn't even bother to read my response in its entirety, a further example of your mentality: "Don't confuse me with facts; my mind is made up." You would have seen that I had written that lesbianism is never mentioned in THE TORAH. You ALSO would have seen that I had written specifically on the issue of people KEEPING THEIR HOMOSEXUAL FEELINGS INSIDE, THUS KEEPING TRUE TO THE ORTHODOX JEWISH FAITH. I don't understand how people can be so completely engrossed in their own hate as to completely ignore the other side of the arguement. And amen to #35!

evidence of the downfall of religion. look what us humans have done to religion. destroyedddddddddddd it. just look. so funny. love live the secular

the torah does not forbid homosexuality as such - it clearly forbids a man to lie with a man (see lev 18:22). but where is it written that women are forbidden from loving women?

At ynetnews.com there were articles on homosexuals, now it's the turn of the lesbians. And finally recently the so-called historian Shlomo Zand and his bogus claim that the Jewish people does not exist! Can't you inform us on what the Tanach says about Sodom and Gomorrah and the abominations that took place over there. Instead of selling us your perverted homosexuals and lesbians now! We are sick of your perverted articles!! DO YOU GET IT? SEND TO THE DUSTBINS YOUR ARTICLES ON LESBIANS AND HOMOSEXUALS AND ANTI-ISRAEL HATERS!!!

This is not a matter of judging individuals for their actions. The private lives of individuals are nobodies business but G-d's. However this organization Bat Kol is making it every bodies business. Having an organization with the goal of having Lesbians and their families excepted by the greater community is in itself a chillul Hashem. If a person has problems and they cannot cope with the full burden of halacha that is one thing. To have an organization give legitimacy to Lesbian couples is another thing. Bat Kol espouses gaining acceptance within the greater community for woman who want to be shomer mitzvot without giving up their lesbian relationships. With their gemmora siyums and their talk of v'ahavta re'eicha cmo'cha is a white wash. You cannot espouse the acceptance of Lesbianism any more than you can espouse a eating cheeseburgers while keeping the rest of the shulchan aruch. Sure, all of us do averot. The differance is that in principal we would like to change. Most of us are not as successful as we would like to be. However if any of us would give up and say that I will not change. G-d created me with an evil inclination so why should I change! Adam Harishon did not get kicked out of the garden because he ate forbidden fruit. He got kicked out because he complained, "the woman that you gave me." In otherwords I have no responsibility for my actions for you set the grounds to tempt me. Heck, Bat Kol goes even further. They say just look at the loving relationships between these same-sex couples and how they relate to their children. They are espousing the virtues that their path has brought them. In other words they are saying that these people are not involved in any aveira and their relationships are kosher. This is a chillul Hashem.

Nadav said.... "where in the Tanakh does it say anything against lesbians? i think it is great that jewish women want to preserve their jewish identity and keep mitzvot without have to go against their own nature - the fact that they were BORN GAY (i.e. God made them that way). The bearded illiterae monsters in Jerusalem and Bnei Brak need to read a book of science once in a while, and not just some 8th centuray Iraqi texts (i.e. talmud!)!!" Wooowwweeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!! Why is it that people think that they have recently discovered America in coming to the conclusion that some people were born gay. Why do you then have to give us this theological revelation that G-d made them that way. Man you are one profound dude. May be you should quit your day job and become some spiritual guru. "G-d made them that way." That is profound. I am going to kick my Rabbis ass. Why could he not make me see it that way?! So you think that it is great that Jewish Lesbians should be able to keep mitzvot without going against their own nature. Does this mean that people should curse,insult, libel one another when they feel like it because it is their nature? Violence, rape and incest are also from human nature. Are you saying that people should be exempt from certain mitzvot when it goes against their hormonal make up? When can I join your church?

well look- i consider myself observant but there are things i do not do right-. maybe this is against the Torah but I don't think people choose to be straight or gay.It is who they are.So how can we condemn people for how they are or were born?and if it is wrong, then shouldn't Gd Himself be the judge?Why all this uginess here?How in the world do people compare them to rapists etc?That is absurd.Why can't we leave people alone since they are not hurting you nor anyone else?Why do ya'all care so much what people do in the privacy of their homes?I know the Torah is against all this but then it is between them and Gd. Don't ya think?

I don't think so. Until you read this article I'll bet none of you ever heard of this organization. Too many of you are confusing "gay pride" (which I am not a fan of either) with every other gay on the planet. Not all are flamboyant and "in your face". For God's sake, it's a frickin' support group that you're all up in arms about. I'll repeat; Get a life.

The TORAH consists of Torah shebichtav (Bible) and Torah shebaal-peh (Talmud). You cannot say I keep only the Bible and not the Talmud. If that were the case, how would you know how to slaughter animals or other Jewish laws which is only outlined in the Talmud? Both, the Bible AND Talmud, are equally required from ALL Jews including YOU! And no, there’s no Jewish law that allows you to be “true to the orthodox faith” and OFFICIALLY commit sins. And by the way, there’s no “other side of the fence”. The Torah spells it out clearly for every single Jew – men and women alike. About time you get a Torah education or is it that you don't have the mentality for that?

About a dozen years ago, I inherited a monumental task. A friend who was seriously lacking in reading ability, asked me to read up on the topic and explain to her, as she was going through all those coming out issues. While not a pleasant duty, it certainly did make me more tolerant of anyone different.

It would seem that as long as they keep family purity (N/A here), shabbos/festivals, and kosher then they are religious. Their degree of religiousness may be in question, but are they any different from those who cheat in business (which is worse than Arayos (BB 88b) or those who wear pants? If anything, those who cheat are worse, and I don't see anyone trying to kick them out (as long as they kickback to the yeshiva!)

If I was coming of as a Judge, that was not my purpose. My purpose was to remind everybody that we are one people - sinners and righteous, religious and secular- and that our fate is tied together. Thus if we are to survive, then we better find a better way to disagree with each other - one that follows the axiom that a Jew who sins is still a Jew and that we are all G-d's children. If my comments were interpeted in any other way - please forgive me.

reconstructionist works too. How many and where in Israel I dont know.

The torah prohibits homosexual acts between men, it does not mention the same for women. Same thing with masturbation, it's prohibited for men in the torah, nothing of the same is mentioned for women. Yeah, us women!!!! At least, we can do what we want sexually, as long as we don't sleep with men outside of our marriage. However, it doesn't say in the torah that men cannot seek sex outside marriage. It's not really equality between the sexes, but each sex has its advantages.

like alcoholism, lesbianism is a programmed thing. statistically, 10% of the religious population has homosexual desires. i think it is great that there is an organization where they can talk freely about the issues. it is very possible that many of them do not act on their desires, but it is helpful to have an environment where they are not ostrosized because of them.

Even Ezer Chap 20 Halacha 2 Lesbianism is forbidden fdfom the ways of Egypt that we warned against. Likewise in Rambam Isurei Biah Chap 21 Halacha 8 states the same. So Jewish religious Lesbanism is an oximoron. If you are religious look in Shulchan Aruch and act accordingly.

I would not be writing here if this was just a support group. Besides support they advocate and want to educate the greater religious community to have more tolerance for people who live Lesbian lifestyles. I do not mean people who are having a hard time with their lesbianism. I mean people who are proud of their lesbian relationships and who themselves to be accepted as they are. In otherwords they are espousing that lesbianism is not an avera.

FYI homosexuals are punished by the death penalty according to the Torah, but Lesbians, although forbidden, are punishable by whipping. See the Shulchan Aruch Even HaEzel 20:2 So it turns out, if you are going to transgress, the women have the advantage over the men in terms of punishment,