Daat Emet
  • Torah, Science & Ethics
    • Pamphlets
    • Scientific Errors in Torah
    • Religion & Ethics
    • Mitzvahs
    • Religion Caught in Its Own Net
  • Torah & Talmud
    • Weekly Portion
    • Torah Text
    • Talmud Issues
    • Daily Peppers
  • Questions & Answers
  • Who We Are
    • About Daat Emet
    • Our Supporters
    • Support Us
  • English
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • Yiddish
    • Français (French)
  • Torah, Science & Ethics
    • Pamphlets
    • Scientific Errors in Torah
    • Religion & Ethics
    • Mitzvahs
    • Religion Caught in Its Own Net
  • Torah & Talmud
    • Weekly Portion
    • Torah Text
    • Talmud Issues
    • Daily Peppers
  • Questions & Answers
  • Who We Are
    • About Daat Emet
    • Our Supporters
    • Support Us
  • English
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • Yiddish
    • Français (French)
Daat Emet
  • Torah, Science & Ethics
    • Pamphlets
    • Scientific Errors in Torah
    • Religion & Ethics
    • Mitzvahs
    • Religion Caught in Its Own Net
  • Torah & Talmud
    • Weekly Portion
    • Torah Text
    • Talmud Issues
    • Daily Peppers
  • Questions & Answers
  • Who We Are
    • About Daat Emet
    • Our Supporters
    • Support Us
  • English
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • Yiddish
    • Français (French)
  • Torah, Science & Ethics
    • Pamphlets
    • Scientific Errors in Torah
    • Religion & Ethics
    • Mitzvahs
    • Religion Caught in Its Own Net
  • Torah & Talmud
    • Weekly Portion
    • Torah Text
    • Talmud Issues
    • Daily Peppers
  • Questions & Answers
  • Who We Are
    • About Daat Emet
    • Our Supporters
    • Support Us
  • English
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • Yiddish
    • Français (French)
Is one permitted to recite the Shema in front of a naked gentile?
Home » Daily Peppers
Yaron Yadan 07/07/2009
Is one permitted to recite the Shema in front of a naked gentile?

One is forbidden to recite the Shema in front of a naked man whose sexual organ is in view. One of the sages, Rav Yehuda, expanded this ruling to include even the sexual organ of a gentile. The scholars asked: What innovation is there in Rav Yehuda’s ruling? It is clear that the rule for a gentile’s sexual organ is as the rule for a Jew’s sexual organ?! They were answered: Because one may compare a gentile’s sexual organ to that of an ass, and one is permitted to recite the Shema in front of an ass’s sexual organ. Why do the sages compare a gentile’s organ to that of an ass? The Scriptures had already drawn this comparison: “The flesh of asses is their flesh” (Ezekiel 23). But despite this comparison, one is forbidden to recite in front of a naked gentile, because the a different Scriptural verse reads “And the nakedness of their father they did not see.” (Shem and Yefet took care did not look at the sexual organ of their father Noah, and Noah was considered a gentile.) Thus, the sexual organ of a gentile is considered “nakedness” by the Scriptures, and one is forbidden to recite the Shema in front of it.
(Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Berachot 25b)

About the Author

ירון ידען View all posts by Yaron Yadan

ירון ידען (נולד בטבריה ב-8 בדצמבר 1961) הוא פעיל חברתי ומייסד ארגון "דעת אמת" העומד בראש מפלגת אור.

Additional Peppers
The demons and spirits were born from Adam

The demons and spirits were born from Adam

May a married gentile couple have anal sex?

May a married gentile couple have anal sex?

Length and thickness of the firmament and the length of time sun-up to stars-out

Length and thickness of the firmament and the length of time sun-up to stars-out

How did the <I>reem</i> get into the Ark?

How did the reem get into the Ark?

A person who builds a sukkah of which one of the walls is an elephant

A person who builds a sukkah of which one of the walls is an elephant

Air which blows beneath a priest’s clothing

Air which blows beneath a priest’s clothing

A Jew who has accidental sexual relations with an animal and a gentile who has sexual relations with an animal

A Jew who has accidental sexual relations with an animal and a gentile who has sexual relations with an animal

© 2016 כל הזכויות שמורות לדעת אמת.
Skip to content
Open toolbar Accessibility Tools

Accessibility Tools

  • Increase TextIncrease Text
  • Decrease TextDecrease Text
  • GrayscaleGrayscale
  • High ContrastHigh Contrast
  • Negative ContrastNegative Contrast
  • Light BackgroundLight Background
  • Links UnderlineLinks Underline
  • Readable FontReadable Font
  • Reset Reset