Torah and Jewish Idea > Torah and Jewish Idea
Multiple Wives
muman613:
A woman can demand a divorce under certain circumstances:
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/560111/jewish/The-Wifes-Grounds-for-Divorce.htm
Irresponsibility
The primary right of a woman to demand a divorce is linked to situations when basic marital needs have been neglected, or abused by the husband. The husband is then "convinced" by the court to both grant the get to his wife, and to give her the ketubah (marital contract) settlement.
The husband who has been derelict with regard to the sustenance that he is obliged to give to his wife, or the conjugal visitation that he must share with his wife, has thereby violated a primary responsibility of the marital covenant, and the wife has the right to a divorce in these situations. These elements of the marriage are so crucial, that their being used by the husband as a weapon with which to deprive the wife, either emotionally or physically, is considered a breach of the sacred marital trust.
A woman may demand a divorce from her husband, if he has been found to be philandering with other women. There need not be proof of his having committed adultery, just of his having cavorted with other women. Even his causing her a bad name through his lecherous actions is likewise considered legitimate justification for the wife launching a divorce action. If the wife feels repulsed by her husband, it is wrong to force her to remain in the union. If the wife should make a vow that affects the marital union, such as a vow related to abstaining from conjugal union or some other impediment to marital viability, and the husband purposely fails to annul that vow, this is interpreted as a desire on his part to sever the relationship. The wife may then demand a divorce.
Should the husband, via a vow, forbid the wife to engage in any form of work, this is considered sufficient grounds for the wife to demand a get. The reasoning behind this is that imposed idleness has certain adverse personal consequences, leading to frustration and perhaps even worse. No wife can be coerced into such an adversity.
What is obvious is that in a multiple-wife circumstance all wives must be willing to live under those arrangements.
edu:
Yaacov Mendel stated:
--- Quote ---Still, several biblical passages that explicitly prescribe the death penalty for adulterers do so for BOTH the man and the woman (Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:22-24; Ezek. 16:38-40).
--- End quote ---
Yes, the man too is guilty of a death penalty crime if he had relations with the wife of another Jew.
Kahane-Was-Right BT:
--- Quote from: edu on July 12, 2011, 01:29:04 AM ---I saw an internet article
http://www.jpost.com/JewishWorld/JewishNews/Article.aspx?id=228736
that there is a new Orthodox rabbinical group that feels that halacha does not forbid a Jew from having more than one wife, while the existing Rabbinical Establishment in Israel seems to very much oppose the idea.
Any opinion on the subject?
--- End quote ---
Of course halacha does not forbid it. Sefardim brought multiple wives to Israel, but they were "ashkenazified" and "Israelized" where the Israeli law prohibits having multiple wives, so they don't have them anymore. But the fact is that they were polygamous for centuries until Israel came and "re-educated" them. And the notion that Rabenu Gershom's takana has any halachic authority outside of his time and place, is of course totally ludicrous. It barely had validity when he wrote it, but the French Jews dutifully followed their leader, and that is probably the right thing to do, but even referring to it as a "takana" is a "wink wink" sort of thing, obviously. And certainly it has nothing to do with us today in the many places we live and under the many different ravs who are our authorities.
That said, I'll take one wife, b'ezrat Hashem.
To those who seek multiple wives, good luck finding a woman in today's day and age that is ok with playing second fiddle or "sharing you" with someone else! Not... gonna... happen...
That's why that group is sort of amusing to me. In a way it's very true, that will solve a lot of problems and help many women get married who are otherwise alone. But what wife is going to agree to it!?
Kahane-Was-Right BT:
--- Quote from: edu on July 12, 2011, 01:01:14 PM --- (Incidentally, this “takkanah” was not accepted by Sephardic Jewry until the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, in a move towards the unification of the Jewish People.)
--- End quote ---
Accepted? Lol. The state of Israel (and its agents, including hired and paid-for rabbis) forced it upon them.
edu:
Kahane-Was-Right BT took issue with what I quoted from the Ou Website
--- Quote ---(Incidentally, this “takkanah” was not accepted by Sephardic Jewry until the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, in a move towards the unification of the Jewish People.)
--- End quote ---
He responded:
--- Quote ---Accepted? Lol. The state of Israel (and its agents, including hired and paid-for rabbis) forced it upon them.
--- End quote ---
Are you familiar with a prominent Sephardic Rabbi, today, who retains the original view ? Or at least some prominent rabbinical personality, that agrees with you that it was forced on the Sephardic Community?
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[*] Previous page
Go to full version