First, I know you well and know your background. I respect you as a community leader and know that you have a good heart. With that being said, to give an okay for gay couples to live together and have a family is irresponsible. To act as a couple and have sexual relations is forbidden. Why would any rav tell someone that its not okay to act on your impulses but you can tease them? Its like telling an alcoholic to work in a bar but don't drink, its forbidden. This person will soon come to drink as like the gay couples will soon come to have forbidden relations. I am sorry, but I hope this article quoted you out of context because I think that your words are very dangerous.

as jews we are taught to love our fellow jews, even if they sin. gays are just like anyone else who sins, we must love them anyway.

the UNrepentant. The Bible this Rabbi should read again says that worship without righteousness is an abomination to the Lord. Isaiah chapter 3 says that flaunting sodomy is one of the reasons the Lord will not protect Jerusalem from an attack that will leave it rubble and in ruin. Homosexuals also attack children or hasn't the Rabbi heard about the MBLA? That means Man-Boy-Love-Association that advocates legalizing sex between adult males and minors. They have a slogan, "By eight or it's too late" and that refers to sexual assaults on children.

All others are outside the family of faith.

The Jewish People should be proud of and honor Rabbi for stating a position on sensitive subject of homsexuality and Judiasm. While I do not agree with all of his belief, we should accept his premise about judging the individual; we should follow the Torah's teaching. However, not even the greatest Rabbi adheres 100% to Torah teachings despite his constant effort. Most of us do not even come close. That is why Hashem gave us Yom Kippur and the Days of Aw preceeding it so we can seek His forgivness and pledge ourselves to put forth a stronger effort to follow the Torah during the following year. Hashem judges; we should not!

Avrohom Mondrowitz and Kolko and other child molesters to come live in Efrat and attend his shul. It is a fact that several lesbian couples do live in Efrat. (and it is no ones business) The Torah teaches us to hate the sin not the sinner. Categorizing Homosexuality as a lifestyle is like calling murderers and shabbat desecrators and treif eaters as a lifestyle. The Mitzvot are compartmentalized, eating treif does not preclude one from davening or putting on tefillin. Jews who do not keep family purity are not precluded from keep shabbat or eating kosher. On the contrary every should should be encouraged to keep as many mitzvos as they can or want to.

As a gay man in a 10 year relationship and 2 children I find your comments not only miss informed, ignorant but also offensive. " Homosexuals also attack children " That is offensive and a lie. What do you think every gay man is a pedophile like every straight man is a rapist? You are not Jewish and have no right to judge and slander other decent law obiding citizens based on your religious beliefs, which by the way as a secular jew i tottally reject. You need help my dear its because of religious nuts like you there are attacks on gay people. If you wish to live your life by some ridiculous religious superstition and quote the bible at non belivers you are very much mistaken. Please find the help you so desperatly need.

Within Judaism there has been, for good reason, much dispute over whether the Sabbath was made for mankind, or whether mankind was made for the Sabbath. This is a concise way of saying that rules either serve human well being or they are arbitrary, dogmatic and legally binding even when they obstruct the human good. Jesus was a Jew, never a Christian (despite a Pharisee, Paul, recruiting him to the campaign for legalism in ancient Judaism). His approach, which is very humane and reasonable, was to shift the emphasis away from laws about classes of actions per se and towards the intention of an agent doing the act. The rabbi himself was betrayed with a kiss -- an act that has conventionally signifies affection or love, but here, because of the agent's intention and the context, meant betrayal and violence. It is in this light that Jews ought to be evaluating laws. Do our laws allow for this kind of evaluation of acts? Homosexual acts are not in themselves bad any more than heterosexual intercourse is inherently morally good. Rape, child sexual abuse and adultery can all involve heterosexual intercourse without it being a moral good! What makes any sex act morally good or bad is the intention of the agent.

will require gay marriage and they will push until torah is hate-speech! individuals should be accepted where possible but the bias agaist gay values is warranted

if he is prepared to go out and make such statements. Of course what can one expect from a Rabbi who supported the 'Hill Top Youth" of the early nineties?!?!

Thank you Rabbi for being brave enough not to hide in the cloak of religion. It is nice to know that there are dati Rabbis that are Bisexual or gay, and don't have to be ashamed.

My question to you Rabbi is this: If a gay couple raises children do they raise them to believe that a marriage is between a man and a woman? If not, how in the name of Gd above can you condone this? I hope you do Tshuva on Yom Kippur

Elliot, you poor miguided, uninformed, intellectually stupid man !

#1: It is your type of hateful, intolerant, primitive and narrow minded thinking that causes so many people to get put off by religion. Did you choose to be heterosexual? If the shoe was on the opposite end I would love to see how you would feel.

#3: So according to you heterosexuals are not involved in pedophilia? How pathetic to accuse all gays of going after children. It's a lie, ignorance and cruel.

http://www.thelogician.net/5_other_writings/5_nosodom.htm

And your knowledge about gay people is ZERO. You've been watching too much South Park.

You "lord" ? this "lord" who blessed you with his "blessings" : rape , divorce , abuse and other such nice blessings . Great !!!

NAMBLA (Nat'l Assoc. of Man-Boy Love or something like that ) is not the norm by any stretch of the imagination in the homosexual community. It is extreme - beyond the fringe for sure. Using it to describe the average gay man's habits would be akin to invoking the name Naturei Karta to describe the average Jew. Very far-fetched and completely incorrect.

He's not gay, he has a family and wife. Bisexual is totally diferent than gay.

Efrat's rabbi is Riskin his credibility and endangering the welfare of children with this pronouncement. Children should be brought up in the nurture and admonition of Hashem.Recite the Shema. Not in a confusing and sinful environment; (the social and cultural forces that shape the life of a person or population) If gender identity disorder patients or whoever else falls under sexually aberrant behavior present themselves they should be loved and welcomed as members as the Rabbi has advocated but should be counselled and discouraged from committing these acts,and innocent children shouldn't be put at risk to satisfy the emotional whims of those who ingage in homosexuality bisexual or lesbian conduct. The Torah forbids it. Take a look at the case of Rabbi Dr. Alan J. Horrowitz on AMW.com and you'll see where these types of behavior can lead you.You may get the imprimatur from a Rabbi they are human and make mistakes but "consider what is above you-a watchful Eye, an attentive Ear and all youre deeds are recorded in a Book" Avos 2:1

priest. people may do what they want, God will forgive them anyway. the only important thing: remain in our church/synagogue! this is the kind of religion with no meaning, totally superficial and not serious. sorry Sir, i am not jewish, and may not be competent but i ask you to take biblical matters as serious as possible or to forget it completely.