Sanhedrin 55A

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Text Excerpt

הבא על הבהמה, בין כדרכה בין שלא כדרכה, והאשה המביאה את הבהמה עליה, בין כדרכה בין שלא כדרכה ⁠– חייב.

or one who has sex with an animal, whether in a typical manner or in an atypical manner, i.e., anal sex, and similarly a woman who has sex with an animal, whether in a typical manner or in an atypical manner, is liable. This baraita sets the minimum age for the passive male at 9 years and one day.

דרש רב נחמן בר רב חסדא: באשה שני משכבות, ובבהמה משכב אחד.

Rav Naḥman bar Rav Ḥisda taught: With regard to a woman there are two manners of lying. A woman who has sex with an animal, whether it is vaginal or anal sex, is liable. But with regard to a man who has sex with an animal there is only one manner of lying, i.e., vaginal sex.

מתקיף לה רב פפא: אדרבה, אשה דאורחה היא אמשכב מיחייב, אמידעם אחרינא לא מיחייב. בהמה דלאו אורחא היא, לחייב עלה על כל נקב ונקב.

Rav Pappa objects to this opinion: On the contrary, a woman, whose typical manner of sex is vaginal, is rendered liable for lying with an animal only in that manner; she is not rendered liable for something else, i.e., for engaging in anal sex with an animal. With regard to a man who has sex with an animal, by contrast, since it is not its typical conduct to have sex with a man, he should be rendered liable for having sex with it through each and every orifice.

תניא (דלא כתרוייהו): זכר בן תשע שנים ויום אחד הבא על הבהמה, בין כדרכה בין שלא כדרכה, והאשה המביאה את הבהמה עליה, בין כדרכה בין שלא כדרכה ⁠– חייב.

It is taught in a baraita in accordance with neither of their opinions: One who engages in homosexual sex with a male aged 9 years and one day, or one who has sex with an animal, whether in a typical manner, or in an atypical manner, i.e., anal sex, and similarly, a woman who has sex with an animal, whether in a typical manner or in an atypical manner, are liable. Evidently, there is no difference between the nature of the transgression of a woman who engages in bestiality and a man who engages in bestiality in this regard.

Text data via Sefaria: William Davidson Edition - English and William Davidson Edition - Vocalized Aramaic, CC-BY-NC; edition provenance: Koren. Display terminology has been modernized for readability.