According to Jewish law, sex is not viewed as shameful, sinful or obscene. It is actually a holy special good-deed, it is the first recorded mitzvah in the Torah, as the Bible says "and God said unto them: "Be fruitful, and multiply" Genesis 1:28.

Sex is not evil for the sole purpose of procreation. Although sexual desire comes from the evil impulse (yetzer ra), it is no more evil than hunger or thirst, which also come from the evil impulse. Like hunger or thirst, sexual desire must be controlled and channeled, satisfied at the proper time, place and manner. When sexual desire is satisfied between a husband and wife at the proper time, out of mutual love and desire, sex is then a special holy mitzvah.

King Solomon wrote a Book called "Song of Songs", a love song between a male and a female, and the Talmud calls this book" The Holy of Holies" - the most sacred biblical text. Why? Because sex is really an expression of our deep desire for the ultimate unity: to connect with God.

The verse, "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine" Song of Songs 6:3, refers symbolically to the longing for oneness with God. Judaism says that sex is one of the holiest acts we can perform. In fact, the Hebrew word for the marriage ceremony - "kiddushin," comes from the word "kadosh" - holy.

With all this in mind, sex is permitted only within the context of a marriage. Sex is not merely a way of experiencing physical pleasure. It is an act of immense significance, which requires commitment and responsibility. The requirement of marriage before sex ensures that sense commitment and responsibility. Jewish law also forbids sexual contact short of intercourse outside of the context of marriage, recognizing that such contact will inevitably lead to intercourse.

The primary purpose of sex is to reinforce the loving marital bond between husband and wife. The first and foremost purpose of marriage is companionship, and sexual relations play an important role. Procreation is also a reason for sex, but it is not the only reason. Sex between husband and wife is permitted in fact its even recommended at times when conception is impossible, such as when the woman is pregnant, after menopause, or when the woman is using a permissible form of contraception.

In the Torah, the word used for sex between husband and wife comes from the root Dalet-Ayin-Tav, meaning "to know," which vividly illustrates that proper Jewish sexuality involves both the heart and mind, not merely the body.

Withal, Judaism does not ignore the physical component of sexuality. The need for physical compatibility between husband and wife is recognized greatly in Jewish law. A Jewish couple must meet at least once before the marriage, and if either prospective spouse finds the other physically repulsive, the marriage is forbidden.

Sex should only be experienced in a time of joy. Sex for selfish personal pleasure, without regard for the partner's pleasure, is wrong and evil. A man may never force his wife to have sex. A couple may not have sexual relations while drunk or quarreling. Sex may never be used as a weapon against a spouse, either by depriving the spouse of sex or by compelling it. It is a serious offense to use sex (or lack thereof) to punish or manipulate a spouse.

Sex is the woman's right, not the man's. A man has a duty to give his wife sex regularly and to ensure that sex is pleasurable for her. He is also obligated to watch for signs that his wife wants sex, and to offer it to her without her asking for it. The woman's right to sexual intercourse is referred to as onah, and is one of a wife's three basic rights (the others are food and clothing), which a husband may not reduce. The Talmud specifies both the quantity and quality of sex that a man must give his wife. It specifies the frequency of sexual obligation based on the husband's occupation, although this obligation can be modified in the (ketubah) marriage contract.

Although sex is the woman's right, she does not have absolute discretion to withhold it from her husband. A woman may not withhold sex from her husband as a form of punishment, and if she does, the husband may divorce her without paying the substantial divorce settlement provided for in the (ketubah) marriage contract.

Although some sources take a more narrow view, the general view of Jewish law is that any sexual act that does not involve destruction of seed, that is; ejaculation outside the vagina is permissible. As one passage in the Talmud states, "a man may do whatever he pleases with his wife." In fact, there are passages in the Talmud that encourage foreplay to arouse the woman.

The Bible says "And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be in her impurity seven days "(Leviticus: 15:19-24, 18:19, 20:18). From this, the laws relating to family purity are derived.

A woman becomes a niddah when blood comes from her womb due to her monthly period known as the female menstrual cycle. These laws provide many undeniable benefits. The laws of niddah are not deliberately kept secret; they are simply unknown because most non-religious Jews do not continue their religious education beyond their bar/bat mitzvah, and these laws address subjects that are not really suitable for discussion with children under the ages of 12/13.

According to the Torah, a man is forbidden from having sexual intercourse with a (niddah), a menstruating woman.

The time of separation begins at the first sign of blood. She counts from the beginning of the flow, and continues until the flow stops. If it takes less than five days for her flow to stop, she still has to wait until five days are over. Even if she saw blood for only one day, she must wait five days until she can begin the seven-day taharah ("purification") process. The five days need not be complete five days. The first day might start in the middle of the day, if she first saw her flow in the afternoon. But whenever they began, they end on the night after the fifth day.

If she sees blood for more than five days, the "five days" end when she has definitely stopped seeing blood. Once she has stopped seeing blood, she can begin the count of the "Seven White Days". "Stopped seeing blood" means that she has stopped seeing either a flow of blood or stains on her clothing completely. These days begin when the woman, before sunset, takes a shower or bath, and cleans herself thoroughly, everywhere. She then waits a few minutes, she must examine herself internally by means of a cloth to check for blood. If the cloth is clean, then the next day is the "first day" of the "Seven White Days". During this period, the woman must check herself twice a day: when she gets up, and just before sunset. This separation lasts a minimum of 12 days. The rabbis broadened this prohibition, maintaining that a man may not even touch his wife or sleep in the same bed as her during this time. (Weddings must be scheduled carefully, so that the woman is not in a state of niddah on her wedding night)

At the end of the period of niddah, as soon as possible after nightfall after the seventh clean day, the woman must immerse herself in a (kosher mikvah) a ritual pool. The ritual pool was traditionally used to cleanse a person of various forms of ritual impurity. Today, it is used almost exclusively for this purpose and as part of the ritual of conversion. It is important to note that the purpose of the ritual pool is solely ritual purification, not physical cleanliness; in fact, immersion in the ritual pool is not valid unless the woman is thoroughly bathed before immersion. The ritual pool is such an important part of traditional Jewish ritual life that a new community will build a ritual pool before they build a synagogue.

The woman then returns home, and informs her husband that she is now in the tahora ("purified") state. Sexual marital relations are then permitted (in fact, tradition dictates they occur that night). Biologically speaking, the best night to conceive is usually "mikvah night", as it often concides with the woman's ovulation. The sperm count of her husband is increased during the abstinence and by the time of self-restraint, which improves the chances of successful pregnancy.

The Torah does not specify the reason for the laws of niddah, but this period of abstention has both physical and psychological benefits.

The fertility benefits of this practice are obvious and undeniable. In fact, it is remarkable how closely these laws parallel the advice given by medical professionals today. When couples are having trouble conceiving, modern medical professionals routinely advise them to abstain from sex during the two weeks around a woman's period (to increase the man's sperm count at a time when conception is not possible), and to have sex on alternate nights during the remaining two weeks. When you combine this basic physical benefit with the psychological benefit of believing that you are fulfilling God's will, and his great reward, fit is absolutely shocking that more couples with fertility problems do not attempt this practice. The rejection of this practice by the liberal movements of Judaism is not a matter of "informed choice," but simply a matter of ignorance or blind prejudice.

In addition, women who have sexual intercourse during their menstrual period are more vulnerable to a variety of vaginal infections, as well as increased risk of cervical cancer. But the benefits that the rabbis have always emphasized are the psychological ones, not the physical ones. The rabbis noted that a two-week period of abstention every month forces a couple to build a non-sexual bond as well as a sexual one. Meaning to say that I love you-not just in a physical way. It helps to build the couple's desire for one another, making intercourse in the remaining two weeks more special. It also gives both partners a chance to rest, without feeling sexually inadequate. They also emphasized the value of self-discipline in a drive as fundamental as the sexual drive.

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