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Why does stigma prevent Orthodox communities from properly investigating abuse? Using Sodom's story, the shiur argues that forbidden sexual behaviors should be understood as taivah (desire) rather than perversion or sickness. This reframing makes it easier to believe that respected community members can struggle with forbidden desires, enabling better protection of victims.
This shiur tackles difficult but important contemporary issues affecting the Orthodox community, using Parshas Vayeira's account of Sodom as a Torah (תורה) lens for understanding human behavior and relationships. Rabbi Zweig begins by noting that abuse has been a concern for centuries, citing the Nesivos who warned 200 years ago about potential abuse by rebbes. He argues that the stigma surrounding these issues prevents proper investigation and protection of victims because communities refuse to believe that 'nice, frum people' could engage in such behavior. The key insight comes from analyzing the Torah's language in describing the people of Sodom's desires ('nadah osam') and Lot's description of his daughters ('asher lo yadu ish'). Rabbi Zweig points out that the Torah uses identical terminology to describe both homosexual desires and heterosexual relationships, suggesting these are not fundamentally different categories of human experience. This indicates that alternative sexual behaviors should be understood as taivah (desire) rather than perversion or sickness.
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Parshas Vayeira - Sodom narrative
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