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What are some jewish views on polygamy?

4 Answers

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  • 5 years ago

    In the Torah polygamy is allowed but was discouraged. The Hebrew term for a co-wife is "tzarah" from the root "tzoros" meaning trouble. More than one wife is seen as causing conflict and trouble in the home- the Torah illustrates this with a number of examples: Sarah vs Hagar; Leah vs Rachel. So while the Torah allowed polygamy it was not recommended and not seen positively.

    In the 10th century Rabbeinu Gershom Meor HaGeulah forbade polygamy in the Ashkenazi Jewish community- the ruling was accepted and active to this day. Sephardi communities have adopted it over time and the vast majority now accept it though there are still a few small communities left in Islamic countries that allow it

    Source(s): Orthodox Jew; Reverend
  • 5 years ago

    The overal Jewish view of Polygamy is that while it is theoretically a perfectly acceptable mode of family,

    no current human society is able to implement Polygamous marriage in a manner that is required for it to be just and lawful.

    Hence, the vast majority of Jewish communities have legislated to forbid it to Jews.

    About half the Jewish world became monogamous about a thousand years ago, and the rest of it followed between the mid-19th and mid-20th century.

  • lkl
    Lv 7
    5 years ago

    Polygamy was once a part of the Mormon religion and ceased by Thomas Smith in the early 1900's. FLDS is all about Polygamy off shoot off the LDS church.

    muslims have multiple wives in certain Arab countries however not in Jewish custom, no way.

  • Truth
    Lv 7
    5 years ago

    are you serious? have you ever dated a Jewish woman? could you imagine being married to more than one? there is another word for that. it is called HELL

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