The Perception of Female Sexuality in Israel’s Rabbinical Courts

Abstract

The article examines the rulings of Israel’s Rabbinic Court on women who claim their right to receive a get (divorce agreement) on the grounds of “loss of interest in the sexual encounter” with their husband. I argue that the current rulings are influenced by the rabbis’ concept of female sexuality. 

The first part briefly reviews the salient halachic milestones in the “loss of sexual interest”, based on the rabbis’ concept of a “reasonable wife”. 

The main part of the article focuses on the changes in Israel’s rabbinic courts regarding the rulings on the “loss of interest”. Various legal opinions are analyzed. A close reading of rabbinic jurisprudence shows that while the “loss of interest” claim was introduced in the Talmudic period to protect the woman, today’s rabbinic judges approach the issue with total disregard for the sexual needs of the woman and her marital role. Instead, they have created a new category of “loss of interest”, which is defined solely by the husband’s behavior, without any reference to the woman or her needs.