General Category > Ask JTF
Ask JTF For August 19 Broadcast
Masha:
Dear Chaim,
I admire and respect you greatly, but I would like to take issue with your defence of polygamy. Sorry for the long comment.
1) No sane and self-respecting woman would think that sharing a husband with another woman is justice. It is a great injustice and offence to a woman's dignity. Try to imagine yourself sharing a wife with other men, and you would know how a woman would feel. Women have the same feelings as men.
2) Given that there is about an equal number of men and women, introducing polygamy would leave many men without a wife, which is an injustice to men, as well. Polygamy would not increase the population, because you would lose the potential children of the men who are now left without mates.
3) I am not aware of any Torah commandment that orders polygamy (am I wrong?), so the Jewish state without polygamy would not break G-s' laws.
4) The fact that the Patriarchs had several wives is not a sufficient reason, in my opinion, to re-introduce the practice. You yourself said that our illustrious ancestors, great as they were, were not automatically blameless in everthing they did. Even they erred occasionally. There might have been historical reasons back then which made polygamy defensible. I don't see such reasons today.
Chaim, even if you poll the opinions of very conservative women who believe in traditional values, including those who write to this forum, you will see that they are strongly against polygamy. Women don't want the return of polygamy. You can force it by law, but I doubt that you will be able to come up with an argument that will make it attractive to women. Why advocate a parctice that is not mandated by the Torah and will alienate half of the population? If you continue to support it, I hope you will do some soul-seraching and convince yourself that polygamy is consistent with the spirit of righteousness, justice, and equal respect for human dignity that permeates our Great Book.
dawntreader:
Shalom Chaim,
I have a big question here. I just watched your YouTube video "A Rightwing Revolution is Needed." While I agree with what you had to say, there was one thing that bothered me.
The biggest thing is this: If we have the U.S. National Guard going door to door, or even cops going door to door to take names, trying to get Illegal aliens out etc. Depending on who is in power, because U.S. law is based on precedent, Don't you believe that it could, in fact, be used against anyone who disagrees with the government at all? It sounds all too much like an abuse of power would be possible here.
HiWarp:
Shalom Chaim,
This is my first question to you so a short introduction is in order. I am a Greek Orthodox Christian who grew up in Queens and currently live on Long Island. My first exposure to Rabbi Meir Kahane was during an interview he gave on the Bob Grant show a long time ago (maybe 1984). I immediately agreed with his message and later discovered the JTF broadcasts on Queens public access, which I began watching over 12 years ago. I continued to listen to the programs on the web after moving to the island.
My question deals with the names of G-d. I have noticed that G-d is spoken but never written or printed. However Hashem is both spoken, written and printed and I believe there are other names for G-d that cannot be spoken. Can you please elaborate on the differences and reasons between the spoken and written names of G-d in Judaism.
Thank you.
Lisa:
Dear Chaim:
With all due respect, I agree with Masha's post. Even though I am conservative and right wing, I am against polygamy. In Genesis, it says a man shall leave his mother and father and cleave unto his *wife,* not "wives."
So can you please elaborate (beside the fact that the Patriarchs and kings practiced it) on why you think it would be beneficial to Jews to revive that practice, as well as where the Torah/Talmud says men are *supposed* to have more than one wife?
As I see it, polygamy caused many dysfunctional families in the Bible. Take for example Isaac, Ishmael, Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers, Reuben having sex with Jacob's concubine, Absalom having sex with King David's concubines, etc.
Finally, why do you think that polygamy was outlawed by the rabbis?
Thank you, as always.
Lisa
Daniel:
Do you think that Alan Keyes, Roy Innis, and the other few blacks that you support and speak favorably of would agree with your assessment that blacks like them are the exception and are one in a million?
Daniel
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