"The Same Flesh" and the Gene Pool

Q. Leviticus 18:6 says, "None of you shall come near anyone of his own flesh to uncover nakedness: I am the LORD." I believe this strikes more true on the point of incest as a cousin - even more distant than a first cousin - which would present a genetic disorder due to endogamy. Literally, incest occurs due to too much similarity within the genetic pool or when there is too much of the same flesh.

A. The Torah definition of a near relative is very specific - parent, sibling, offspring, etc. It doesn't include cousins, not even first cousins. Such marriages are permitted, even though they may be discouraged for other reasons (like genetics).

The world can be broken up in different ways. Taxonomy uses mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, etc., while the Torah uses beasts, flying things, creeping things, sea creatures. In science, a cow, a bat, a mouse and a whale are all mammals. In the Torah, they're a beast, a flying thing, a creeping thing and a sea creature, respectively. Similarly, what genetics may wish to define as an incestuous relationship need not align with the Torah's parameters, which serve a different purpose. (For example, relations with one's stepmother are incestuous even though there's no genetic link. This is true even if she's widowed or divorced.)

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