Forbidden relationships in Judaism

Forbidden relationships in Judaism (איסורי ביאה Isurey bi'ah) are intimate relationships which are forbidden by prohibitions in the Torah or rabbinical injunctions.

Some of these prohibitions—those listed in Leviticus 18, known as arayot (Hebrew: עריות)—are considered such a serious transgression of Jewish law that one must give up one's life, rather than transgress one of them.^[1] (This does not necessarily apply to a rape victim.^[2]) This is as opposed to most other prohibitions, in which one is generally required to transgress the commandment when a life is on the line.

Some of these prohibitions (such as those related to homosexuality), while still observed by Orthodox Jews, are currently observed to a lesser extent or not at all by some of the non-Orthodox movements.