בקהל ה', “into the congregation of Hashem.” This does not refer to his religion but to the fact that such a person must not consider himself entitled to marry a natural born Jewish woman (Ibn Ezra). The reason is that his physical condition prevents him from fulfilling the primary function of marriage, that of begetting children. In the words of Isaiah 45,18: “G’d did not create earth in order for it to remain void; rather He created it in order to be populated.” Seeing the type of injuries mentioned here preclude the husband from fulfilling this commandment the marriage would be deemed futile from the start. Seeing that the Torah writes that such people must not come בקהל ה', “into the congregation of the Lord,” it would appear that they may marry a woman who does not fulfill that criterion, i.e. a convert or a freed slave (Yevamot 70). Had the Torah wanted to forbid marriage outright for these people whose virility is impaired it would have written: “he must not marry a woman.” Had the Torah used such terminology I would have concluded that any sexual intercourse which is not potentially capable of resulting in the woman becoming pregnant is forbidden. Now that the Torah prohibited only בקהל ה', it is clear that sexual intercourse is permitted even if its purpose is not to perpetuate the species.

A WOMAN SHALL NOT WEAR THAT WHICH PERTAINETH UNTO A MAN. This law was stated here because Scripture deals with going out to war. Women were created only to have children. If a woman joins men in going to war she will come to engage in illicit sexual relations on the way. The law that states neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment is similar. The reason for this law is as follows. If a male who does not have a full beard mixes with women, then he and they will have sexual relations without anyone knowing. This law indicates that the custom of Israel was for the garments of men to be unlike the garments of women. There was a definite difference between the garments. This is also the practice in most countries. Some say that our verse speaks of unnatural intercourse. However, there is no need for this interpretation. The fact is that God abominates the one who changes the works of the Lord.