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<DIV>Saul Newman quoted a letter which included, as it’s conclusion:<BR>”<FONT
face=Arial><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: "><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 6.5pt">Perhaps
this goes some way to explain why incest and other sexual
crimes</FONT></SPAN><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 6.5pt"><BR
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial,sans-serif"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: ">are not treated as seriously as they should be in certain
communities.</SPAN><BR
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial,sans-serif"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: ">Firstly, the possibility of real teshuva is something
which I imagine</SPAN><BR
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial,sans-serif"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: ">psychotherapists would challenge. But the Gemara says it
is possible. And</SPAN><BR
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial,sans-serif"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: ">incest (or other sexual sins) are not as bad as stealing
(though I know</SPAN><BR
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial,sans-serif"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: ">that in some communities stealing is also not considered
such a serious</SPAN><BR
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial,sans-serif"></FONT><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: "><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 6.5pt">sin).”</FONT></SPAN></FONT><BR
style="FONT-SIZE: 13px; FONT-FAMILY: arial,sans-serif"></DIV>
<DIV>1. Arayos are not the same as sexual abuse, which is a form of violence.
Arayos may or may not be involved, but I don’t think the term captures what is
being discussed.</DIV>
<DIV>2. Why would psychotherapists challenge the ability to do teshuvah? It
doesn’t require the person be returned to their prior state if they forgive
you...</DIV>
<DIV>3. This is more of an open question and tangential rumination on my part,
but relevant: In the ancient world it seems clear they were much less sensitive
to certain issues than we are today, particularly as pertaining to psychological
health and physical well-being and particularly comfort. Perhaps this is because
violence (sexual and otherwise) was such a common part of most people’s lives.
Children, women, and slaves were commonly beaten. Constant warfare meant rape,
kidnapping and the destruction of entire cities were common occurrences (see
Tana”ch for evidence, not to mention any history book of the ancient world). In
a sense, everybody probably had some sort of PTSD, or were simply inured to
violence by constant exposure. How do we take discussions which took place at
that time, and apply them to the relatively safe world that most of us, B”H,
live in? Certainly the words of Chaza”l are eternal and binding, but just as we
have special allowances for the physically sensitive (istanisim) which could be
applied to pretty much everyone in our generation (e.g. showering during the 9
days), perhaps we need to consider that the amount of harm which certain
experiences would have caused in their time is not the same as in our day.</DIV>
<DIV>--</DIV>
<DIV>B’ahavat Yisrael,</DIV>
<DIV>-Eitan Levy</DIV>
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