Jerusalem – Are we about to witness a new phenomenon in Israel in the coming years – one man married to several women? Tens of thousands of leaflets were distributed in synagogues across the country recently, promoting the ancient custom and presenting it as a solution for the single daughters of Israel.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
The phenomenon of a man married to several women (polygamy) was common among the people of Israel in ancient times. King Solomon was married to 1,000 women, King Rehoboam had 78 wives, and King David had “only” 18.
About 1,000 years ago, however, Rabbi Gershom issued a ban on bigamy, forbidding the custom among Ashkenazi Jews. Sephardic men abandoned the tradition as well in the past centuries, settling for only one woman.
The ads distributed in the synagogues appeared in the “Shabbat B’Shabbato” weekly bulletin. They encourage Jewish Sephardic men to return to the ancient custom, and include a quote from a halachic paper written by Rabbi Ovadia Yosef several years ago, which does not rule out the polygamy phenomenon: “Courts imposing aggravated punishments on Sephardim over this matter are wrong.”
It’s unclear whether Rabbi Ovadia would still support polygamy these days, but the leaflet authors argue that according to Halacha, it is not longer forbidden among Sephardic circles today.
The flyers direct their readers to the website of the “Jewish Home” organization, which includes quotes from a series of rabbinical religious authorities throughout history, implying that the rule forbidding polygamy has expired. The website also includes personal stories of men and women with experience in polygamy.
The Srugim website revealed that the ads were funded by a group of single religious women who have given up on finding a match.
One of the women, 39, said: “I am a single religious woman who is afraid of losing the ability to become a mother.” She added that there were 27 other women like her who would be happy to marry a married man.
“Shabbat B’Shabbato” editor, Rabbi Israel Rosen, expressed his reservations over the ad, explaining that ads published in the bulletin are not checked beforehand. He estimated that it was simply a joke.
Makes perfect sense, in today’s economy it takes more than one wife to support a husband in kollel….
That’s just insane – it’s hard enough to deal with one wife, imagine several………………..
Aren’t there nearly equal numbers of single men? If their ‘bashert’ married someone else, wo would they marry?
OMG
I can barely handle one…
Imagine what this manb’s credit card bills would look like
The idea of polygamy may help newspapers, but it is blatantly illegal in EY and any Israelis who seek to engage in the practice will celebrate their sheva brachos in jail and the children of such illegal unions will be mamzerim. Otherwise, its a brilliant idea. Many of these chareidi families cannot afford the children they have with one wife, so obviously having more wives and children will only worsen their quality of life.
Any man who wants to take on more headaches and heartaches would be very foolish indeed.
Its people not happilly married that promote this, but two wrongs dont make it right
Two Shviggers! G-D have mercy!
the therapists will need to learn a new course in how to deal with sholom bayis when there is something called a ‘Tzarah’ in the home as the gemorah calls it.
Sephardim never had a problem marrying more then one wife. They never had the custom to abandon it. My great grandfather had 2 wives.
The very first Sepharadi, our father Avraham had 2 wives.
There was a good reason that Rabbeinu Gershon banned polygamy. More than one wife can cause jealousy and strife, as has been shown throughout our history, with the sons of Yaakov, Chana and Penina and Rabbeinu Gershon’s second wife etc. I wouldn’t want my husband to have another wife. Sholom bayis is hard enough with only one wife!
polygamy is not a toeiva, like sodomy. Having said that, here in galus/ the US, we are against this.
we cant handle more then 1 please!!!!!!!!!
News flash: Avraham Avinu wasn’t Askenazic, either.
first it’s gay marriage, now this. aren’t there enough tzoros in this world? when will the people realize that all these aveiros are bringing on nothing but tragedies in our lives!
In terms of combating Islamic womb-jihad, this makes sense. Though on the whole, Jewish men treat their women with respect, still, we can expect it to create new problems. Certainly it will lead to more Jewish babies, and for this reason, I approve.
I thought that Rabeinu Gershon’s ban expired after אלף החמישי which means it is no longer in effect. Does anyone know differently?
When I was inducted into צה”ל in 1965 and subsequently assigned to a permanent unit, my company commander had two wives. This was not mere barrack room scuttlebut: the man was quite open about it.
For what it is worth he had come from Syria (with both wives) in 1953, and the reason given for this polygamy was that אישה אחת לא סיפקה את דרישותיו. He said that he had been authorized by a בד”ץ in חאלב (Aleppo).
I remained in close social contact with this officer for many years until his death a year and a half ago.
Would the husband start dating thru a shadchan service again while his first wife, now instead of his mother, would make sure to check out the information, ensure he was well dressed and on time for the date and then debrief him afterwards??? Oh, and she would also order the flowers for the vort and arrange the party! I guess not a problem for today’s multi tasking, incredibly, busy tzedkonios who work to help support the family, raise children, do chessed for klal and busy themselves with the shidduchim of their children and assist their children with the grandchildren so that the family unit can be in harmony! .
Polygamy causes tons of problems for the Arabs lehavdil. Osama bin Laden ym”s was a product of this cruel practice. Our forefathers had no choice, and would have preferred to have just one wife, look at the perush on the subject. Poligamy creates dozens and dozens of single, less successful men with nothing to do with themselves but be frustrated. Unless there is G-d forbid, a major imbalance between men and women, as happened during wars, there is no reason for a man to have more than one wife.
Sefardim never banned or stopped polygamy. Yemeni and Sefardim were practicing polygamy into the modern era, and indeed some still TODAY have multiples wives.
The cause of this admittedly bizarre movement is the fact that there are large numbers of Jewish women who cannot get find someone who will marry them. They can remain single and without children, they can become single moms (e.g. via in vitro fertilization) which so far has not received rabbinic approval (for social reasons), or they can intermarry.
By the way, a woman who is impregnated via in vitro fertilization has not committed adultery, according to most poskim and a child born from such an act is NOT a mamzer.
Having more than one wife may be an excellent idea in many circumstances. Even as it creates certain sholom bais problems, depending on personalities involved, but these problems can be dealt with. And the family so constituted may be very beneficial to the people in it. But it’s not for everybody. Not going into any details here.
Also consider this. There seems to be many more eligible girls than men. A girl past the age 25 seems to have very small chances, from early 30s on – almost nonexistent. Hence this whole “shiduch crisis.” On the other side, there are men who could reasonably easily afford to support two wives, and more, with all their children. Like Lindberg#29 said, “Certainly it will lead to more Jewish babies… I approve.”
Whether or not it is mutar wouldn’t change the fact that anyone wishing to marry a second wife would first need to get permission from the first wife being that they married in a country that did not practice such marriages and the first wife was under the presumption that he would not marry a second. Being that this halacha is a realy a minhag, which is decided by country you live in, the aruch hashulchan does write that ashkinazim living in sifardi country would be allowed to marry as such. Unfortunately I am not near my seffarim for exact maareh makom.
But lets never forget “marbeh nashim, marbeh kishoffim” modern translation = a woman jealous for her husbands attention will stoop to the lowest levels of depravity to get it.
Also Avraham avinu came from aram naharayim which rashi translates as the aram between two rivers. This is usually understood as Mesopotamia. Baval. Iraq.
Rabbi gershom’s Chairim was meant
that hashem would not leave the chosen people and marry ch”v a different nation.
and that hashem would not abandon the chosen people ch”v
Just wait. It is only a matter of time before polygamy is legalized in the US.
Now that there are same gender marriages in New York, how can the government justify prohibiting polygamy?
There seems to be lots of misunderstandings so to clarify:
1. A child will only be a mamzer out of incest or if the mother is married to another man, commits adultery.
2. The Tur (Ashkenazi posek – son of the Rosh) advises no more than 4 wives – and then only if he can afford to look after them financially and emotionally.
3. Although you can’t marry more than one woman in Israel – if you are already married to more than one it is recognised by the state.
4. The kesuba has a clause that a man may not marry further wives without his current wife/wives permission.
In general most men are too weak today to handle their duties. To understand previous generations’ strength see Sanhedrin 22a for King David’s strength and 82b for Zimri’s strength. King David also refused to divorce any of his 18 wives to allow him to marry Avishag which shows his emotional care for them.
From the halachic perspective there is nothing wrong with it, however westernised minds have trouble accepting it.
There are lots of misunderstandings here so to clarify:
1. A mamzer can only be produced from an incestuous union or an adulterous woman. (Chayvei Misa not chayvai lavin)
2. The Tur (Asheknazi Posek – son of the Rosh) advises a maximum of 4 wives and only if the husband can support them financially and emotionally.
3. The kesuba has a clause which does not allow a man to marry another woman without the permission of his wife/wives.
Most men nowadays do not have the strength of previous generations. See Sanhedrin 21a for King David’s strength & 82b for Zimri’s strength.
4. Although you may not marry more than one woman in Israel the state recognises polygamy if you already have more than one wife.
From the halachic perspective there is nothing wrong, however westernised minds won’t be able to accept this.
Again a few bumheads decide its time to twist around the laws to further their self-serving agendas. With the divorce rates climbing, children getting murdered, etc sadly there is not much zechut going around these days and the rabbis who have closed their eyes to the lack of decency among jews who claim to be jewish is sickening. The rabbis must solve the aguna problem by educating mentches not monsters.