A Messianic Jewish Response to the "Pedophilia in the Talmud" Charge
By: Rabbi Irving Salzman, Beth Messiah Congregation
Bio: https://www.beth-messiah.org/meet-the-rabbi.html
Objection: The Talmud supports pedophilia and is wholly “evil”. Some specific Talmudic passages cited to support this contention were Sanhedrin 54b and 55b where there are discussions about girls under the age of 3, boys under the age of 9 and intercourse. Original texts can be found at Chabad.org
​
Answer: I asked Rabbi Irving about the passages that seem to indicate the Talmud promotes pedophilia. Here is his response:
​
While those Talmudic passages exist, they are not "prescriptive" or even endorsing of sexual intercourse with a three-year old. These are legal texts that are attempting to clarify culpability or lack of the same. Between you and me, it is unfortunate that the rabbis went to such an extent to discuss all the legal implications. In the process, they have given much fodder for antisemites to exploit. But none of these texts can properly be used to say that the rabbis are justifying pedophilia. On the contrary. This text must be taken in context alongside the numerous other places where such behavior is clearly proscribed. Not to mention, sex is forbidden outside of marriage.
​
What also needs to be said is that the rabbis in the Talmud were unsaved men. Like unsaved people across all cultures, many of whom espouse deviant sexualities, in the end, we must pray for them and share the gospel with them. That goes for LGBTQ radicals, people who advocate for threesomes, multiple sex partners, etc. These "Christians" should not be openly targeting the rabbis; they should be moved to win them to Yeshua instead. Their antisemitism has made them focus inordinately on vilifying the rabbis to the exclusion of all other lost religious groups that have questionable sexual ethics. And, again, they are misconstruing and distorting the purpose behind the rabbinic texts. They are just like the General Assembly at the United Nations, which inordinately censures and condemns Israel with resolutions, while they barely speak of what other countries are doing.