Prostitutes, Rabbis and Repentance

Prostitutes are ubiquitous in rabbinic fantasy and folklore. In two tales the rabbis repent in the midst of intercourse after having crossed rivers and paid vast sums for a one-night stand with an exotic sex worker. Dialogues in bed are the turning points in their repentance. Commentators debate their interpretation and derive contemporary messages for postmodern sexual relationships (like Don Juan) and therapies for the sexually obsessed.