Masturbation Is An Important Human Ritual
A renowned neuroscientist uncovers why prioritizing pleasure is essential to human health.
I had an insatiable crush on Yoni when I was eighteen. The nights I spent imagining that I was in his arms, or legs, were very lucrative. He was intoxicatingly nerdy, loved to listen to others, and put his family first. The boy was also surprisingly popular. Always having gatherings at his house without needing a plethora of drugs or alcohol to lure in a crowd.
There was only one obstacle with Yoni. Despite having a name that literally means vagina in Sanskrit, he would not touch the opposite sex. It’s colloquially called Shomer Negiah and refers to an Orthodox Jewish tradition where one doesn’t touch any gender but their own until marriage.
Hot damn if that didn’t make me want to rip his shirt off. On the other end of the spectrum, I was a loose cultural Jew who also happened to date women. I should have been his Jewish anti-christ, but instead, I was always welcome in his home.
Making my boner for Yoni quite a burden to bear.
I frequented his gatherings many times. Always enjoying our friendship and learning so much about my own culture from his perspective. He was also never one to judge who I was, and I believe that he…
