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From: robison@eosp1.UUCP (Tobias D. Robison)
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: Judaism and Polygamy
Message-ID: <1176@eosp1.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 16-Oct-84 12:34:03 EDT
Article-I.D.: eosp1.1176
Posted: Tue Oct 16 12:34:03 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 17-Oct-84 06:36:01 EDT
References: <1027@akgua.UUCP> <33@mit-athena.ARPA>
Reply-To: robison@eosp1.UUCP (Tobias D. Robison)
Organization: Exxon Office Systems, Princeton
Lines: 48

Ashkenazim are subject to a one-thousand year edict
banning polygamy, that was promulgated by a well-known
Rabbi in Europe.  1000 years is a long time, but, surprise!
The 1000 years ended in the late 1970's.  I made some
inquiries and determined that apparently the halachic
status of a 1000 year edict is that it remains in force,
even after the 1000 years, until publicly terminated by
people with at least the status of those who established it.
(I'm not too clear about this, comments anyone?)

In addition, there certainly is a tradition in Judaism of observing the
secular laws of the land on such matters, so the status of the
1000-year edict comes into question only in countries that allow
secular polygamy.

The United States is in a peculiar condition in this regard, in
that Polygamy seems to be nominally illegal, but accepted within
various bounds of ostentation.  Disaffected wives can initiate
criminal procedings for Bigamy, and prosecutors who wish can do
so also.  In general, I believe that Mormons are never prosecuted
for Polygamy, although Polygamy is now publicly discouraged by
the leaders of that religion.

I'm inclined to think that if the 1000-year edict were rescinded,
and religious Jews then practiced polygamy quietly, not declaring it
on their tax returns, they might get away with it.  I would expect
that polygamy would not work well among a society not used to it,
since it seems to take some unusual mind sets in the participants
to make it work.  (For further info, listen to multiple wives
of a Mormon on any talk show;  they show up, from time to time.)

However, Polygamy looks like a natural biological imperative for
Orthodox Ashkenazim, so perhaps pressure for it will appear from
somewhere.  The tendency among this cultural subgroup is toward
families with large numbers of children.  There is also an excess
(I think) of unmarried women.  Families with multiple wives can
manage large families, and provide for them, more easily, in
some societal conditions.


I'm not recommending any of this; I find monogamy more natural.
I'm just curious about what's going to happen in the next decades
in this little-examined area of (possible) social evolution.

	- Toby Robison (not Robinson!)
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