Giving One's Seed to Molekh/1/en
Giving One's Seed to Molekh
Introduction
Ambiguous Action
The Molekh prohibition appears first in Vayikra 18:
(כא) וּמִזַּרְעֲךָ לֹא תִתֵּן לְהַעֲבִיר לַמֹּלֶךְ וְלֹא תְחַלֵּל אֶת שֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֲנִי י"י.
Vayikra 20 then follows up with the punishment meted out to those who engage in such conduct:
(ב) וְאֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל תֹּאמַר אִישׁ אִישׁ מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמִן הַגֵּר הַגָּר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר יִתֵּן מִזַּרְעוֹ לַמֹּלֶךְ מוֹת יוּמָת עַם הָאָרֶץ יִרְגְּמֻהוּ בָאָבֶן. (ג) וַאֲנִי אֶתֵּן אֶת פָּנַי בָּאִישׁ הַהוּא וְהִכְרַתִּי אֹתוֹ מִקֶּרֶב עַמּוֹ כִּי מִזַּרְעוֹ נָתַן לַמֹּלֶךְ לְמַעַן טַמֵּא אֶת מִקְדָּשִׁי וּלְחַלֵּל אֶת שֵׁם קׇדְשִׁי.
But what does it mean to give one's seed to the Molekh, and how is this performed? Is it merely a single action as per the single verb of "יִתֵּן" in Vayikra 20, or a multi-step process as might be indicated by the longer "תִתֵּן לְהַעֲבִיר" formulation of Vayikra 18? And why is specifically this act associated with the defiling of Hashem's sanctuary and desecration of His name?
Other Biblical Molekhs
The Molekh appears in three other verses in Tanakh (Melakhim I 11:7, Melakhim II 23:10 and Yirmeyahu 32:35), all of which relate it to some form of idolatry.1
In Melakhim II 23:10 we read:
וְטִמֵּא אֶת הַתֹּפֶת אֲשֶׁר בְּגֵי בֶן (בני) הִנֹּם לְבִלְתִּי לְהַעֲבִיר אִישׁ אֶת בְּנוֹ וְאֶת בִּתּוֹ בָּאֵשׁ לַמֹּלֶךְ.
The verse connects Molekh worship with passing children through fire, but does not elaborate further, leaving the exact nature of the rite ambiguous. Does it refer to child immolation or some other act involving fire? While other verses in Tanakh do attest to such a cult of child sacrifice, they do not mention the Molekh. For example, Devarim 12:31 states:2
לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה כֵן לַי"י אֱלֹהֶיךָ כִּי כׇל תּוֹעֲבַת י"י אֲשֶׁר שָׂנֵא עָשׂוּ לֵאלֹהֵיהֶם כִּי גַם אֶת בְּנֵיהֶם וְאֶת בְּנֹתֵיהֶם יִשְׂרְפוּ בָאֵשׁ לֵאלֹהֵיהֶם.
The verse uses the root "שרף" clarifying that the children are actually burned. This root (or its equivalent), though, is absent from Vayikra and other verses which mention the Molekh where only the verbs "לְהַעֲבִיר" and "נָתַן" appear. Is Vayikra speaking of the same cultic practice as Devarim or a different one?
Context
The two prohibitions of Molekh in Vayikra 18 and 20 are framed by similar contexts. Vayikra 18 contains a list of the forbidden abominations of the Egyptians and Canaanites which is made up exclusively (except for, perhaps, the prohibition of Molekh) of offenses of a sexual nature. Similarly, the prohibition in Vayikra 20 immediately precedes the list of punishments for these offenses. However, in Vayikra 20 there is an additional sin located between Molekh and the list of sexual offenses: the prohibition of turning to necromancers ("הָאֹבֹת וְאֶל הַיִּדְּעֹנִים"). Interestingly, in Devarim 18:10-11, the prohibition of passing ones children through fire is immediately followed by the prohibition on practitioners of black magic, including the same "אוֹב וְיִדְּעֹנִי". These parallels raise the following questions:
- Is there a connection between Molekh and sexual crimes, and in particular, the neighboring laws of adultery, homosexuality, and bestiality?
- Does Molekh relate to necromancy?
