Tumtum (Judaism)

Tumtum (Hebrew: טומטום, "hidden") is a term that appears in Jewish Rabbinic literature. It usually refers to a person whose sex is unknown because their genitalia are hidden, undeveloped, or difficult to determine.^[2]^[3]^[4]

Although they are often grouped together, the tumtum has some halakhic ramifications distinct from those of the androgynos (אנדרוגינוס), who has both male and female genitalia.^[5]

Although tumtum does not appear in the Scripture, it does in other literature.^[3] Reform Rabbi Elliot Kukla writes, "The tumtum appears 17 times in the Mishna; 23 times in the Tosefta; 119 times in the Babylonian Talmud; 22 times in the Jerusalem Talmud; and hundreds of times in midrash, commentaries, and halacha."^[6]

In the Babylonian Talmud, Yevamot 64a-b, Rabbi Ammi says that the Biblical figures "Abraham and Sarah were originally tumtumin" and infertile, and then miraculously turned into a fertile husband and wife in their old age. Rabbi Ammi points to the Book of Isaiah 51:1–2, saying that the references to "Look to the rock from where you were hewn, and to the hole of the pit from where you were dug [...] Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you" explains their genitals being uncovered and remade.^[1]

^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference talmudology was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Fonrobert, Charlotte Elisheva. "Gender Identity In Halakhic Discourse". Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
^ ^a ^b Steinberg, Avraham (2003). "Ambiguous genitalia (tumtum)". Encyclopedia of Jewish Medical Ethics. Translated by Rosner, Fred. Jerusalem: Feldheim Publishers. pp. 50–54. ISBN 9781583305928. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
^ Scheinerman, Rachel (8 February 2022). "The Eight Genders in the Talmud". My Jewish Learning. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
^ "Chagigah 4a:7". www.sefaria.org. Retrieved 2023-05-01.
^ Rabbi Elliot Kukla. "A Created Being of Its Own: Toward a Jewish Liberation Theology for Men, Women and Everyone Else". 2006. TransTorah.

[talmudology-1] Cite error: The named reference talmudology was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[2] Fonrobert, Charlotte Elisheva. "Gender Identity In Halakhic Discourse". Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved April 25, 2020.

[encyclopedia-3] Steinberg, Avraham (2003). "Ambiguous genitalia (tumtum)". Encyclopedia of Jewish Medical Ethics. Translated by Rosner, Fred. Jerusalem: Feldheim Publishers. pp. 50–54. ISBN 9781583305928. Retrieved March 7, 2023.

[4] Scheinerman, Rachel (8 February 2022). "The Eight Genders in the Talmud". My Jewish Learning. Retrieved 8 March 2023.

[Babylonian_Talmud,_Tractate_Hagigah,_4a-5] "Chagigah 4a:7". www.sefaria.org. Retrieved 2023-05-01.

[kukla_met-6] Rabbi Elliot Kukla. "A Created Being of Its Own: Toward a Jewish Liberation Theology for Men, Women and Everyone Else". 2006. TransTorah.

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