Commentary for Sanhedrin 109:1
הבא על הבהמה בין כדרכה בין שלא כדרכה והאשה המביאה את הבהמה עליה בין כדרכה בין שלא כדרכה חייב
[he] who commits bestiality, whether naturally or unnaturally; or a woman who causes herself to be bestially abused, whether naturally or unnaturally, is liable to punishment.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Rashi reads [H] instead of the [H] in our printed texts. A male, aged nine years and a day who commits etc.] There are thus three distinct clauses in this Baraitha. The first — a male aged nine years and a day — refers to the passive subject of pederasty, the punishment being incurred by the adult offender. This must be its meaning — because firstly, the active offender is never explicitly designated as a male, it being understood, just as the Bible states, Thou shalt not lie with mankind, where only the sex of the passive participant is mentioned; and secondly, if the age reference is to the active party, the guilt being incurred by the passive adult party, why single out pederasty: in all crimes of incest, the passive adult does not incur guilt unless the other party is at least nine years and a day? Hence the Baraitha supports Rab's contention that nine years (and a day) is the minimum age of the passive partner for the adult to be liable. ');"><sup>1</sup></span>
Explore commentary for Sanhedrin 109:1. In-depth commentary and analysis from classical Jewish sources.