Marriage and Family
Sefer Nashim, the Book of Women · commandments 122–138
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Marriage and its duties, divorce, the brother’s widow, the protection of the unmarried woman, and the wife suspected of unfaithfulness.
On this page: Marriage (122–125) · Divorce (126–127) · The Brother’s Widow (128–130) · The Unmarried Young Woman (131–135) · The Suspected Wife (136–138)
Marriage
Ishut · 4 commandments
122. To take a wife by the act of marriage. DO — Christ’s teaching: 12
If a man takes a wife and lives with her as husband, but she finds no favor before him because he finds something unseemly in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hands, and sends her from his house,
Deuteronomy 24:1
123. There is to be no cult prostitute among the people. DO NOT
No daughter of Israel shall be a prostitute, and no son of Israel shall practice prostitution.No daughter of Israel shall be an initiation functionary, and no son of Israel shall undergo initiation.
Deuteronomy 23:18
124. Not to withhold from a wife her food, her clothing or her marital right. DO NOT
If he takes another wife, he shall not deprive her of necessities, clothing, or conjugal companionship.
Exodus 21:10
125. To be fruitful and multiply. DO
God blessed them, saying, “Increase and multiply, and fill the earth and exercise dominion over it; and rule over the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, all the livestock, all the earth, and every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”
Genesis 1:28
Divorce
Gerushin · 2 commandments
126. A divorce is to be given by a written certificate. DO — Christ’s teaching: 8, 12
If a man takes a wife and lives with her as husband, but she finds no favor before him because he finds something unseemly in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hands, and sends her from his house,
Deuteronomy 24:1
127. A man must not take back his divorced wife after she has been married to another. DO NOT — Christ’s teaching: 8, 12
then her former husband who sent her away may not return and take her as his wife after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination before the Lord your God. Do not defile the land the Lord your God is giving you as an allotment.
Deuteronomy 24:4
The Brother’s Widow
Yibbum va-Chalitzah · 3 commandments
128. The husband’s brother is to take the childless widow. DO
If brothers live together and one dies without offspring, the dead man’s wife shall not marry outside to a man who is not a close relative. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her, take her as his wife, and live with her as husband.
Deuteronomy 25:5
129. If he will not, she is to perform the removal of the sandal. DO
his brother’s wife shall approach before the council of elders, remove one sandal from his foot, and spit in his face. She shall declare: This is what they shall do to the man who will not build up his brother’s house.
Deuteronomy 25:9
130. The widow must not marry outside the family until she is released. DO NOT
If brothers live together and one dies without offspring, the dead man’s wife shall not marry outside to a man who is not a close relative. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her, take her as his wife, and live with her as husband.
Deuteronomy 25:5
The Unmarried Young Woman
Na’arah Betulah · 5 commandments
131. The one who seduces a virgin must pay the bride-price. DO
If anyone deceives a virgin who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall surely provide the marriage payment for her to become his wife. If her father firmly refuses and is unwilling to give her to him as a wife, he shall pay her father silver equal to the marriage payment for virgins.
Exodus 22:15–16
132. The one who violates a virgin must take her as his wife. DO
the man who lay with her shall give the young woman’s father fifty silver didrachmas. She shall be his wife because he violated her; he may not send her away for all time.
Deuteronomy 22:29
133. He may not send her away all his days. DO NOT — the same verse, Deuteronomy 22:29
134. The one who slanders his bride must keep her as his wife. DO
They shall fine him one hundred shekels and give them to the young woman’s father, because he gave an Israelite virgin a bad name. She shall remain his wife; he may not send her away for all time.
Deuteronomy 22:19
135. He may not send her away all his days. DO NOT — the same verse, Deuteronomy 22:19
The Suspected Wife
Sotah · 3 commandments
136. To carry out the law of jealousy. DO
Or when a spirit of jealousy comes over a man and he is jealous of his wife. He shall stand his wife before the Lord, and the priest shall perform all this law for her.
Numbers 5:30
137. Not to pour oil on her offering. DO NOT
The man shall bring his wife to the priest and present the gift on her behalf: one-tenth of an ephah of barley flour. He shall not pour oil on it or put frankincense on it, because it is a sacrifice of jealousy, a memorial sacrifice bringing sin to remembrance.
Numbers 5:15
138. Not to put frankincense on her offering. DO NOT — the same verse, Numbers 5:15
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Saints Translation · The Commandments · the traditional count of 613 after Maimonides; statements in our own words; verses quoted from the Saints Translation · working draft awaiting specialist review.