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From: rjb@akgua.UUCP (R.J. Brown [Bob])
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Judaism and Polygamy
Message-ID: <1038@akgua.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 15-Oct-84 07:48:58 EDT
Article-I.D.: akgua.1038
Posted: Mon Oct 15 07:48:58 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 16-Oct-84 06:35:37 EDT
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This is a repost of this article  since I rec'd
some mail telling me that the body of the article
was somehow deleted.  Please forgive me if this
is a repeat for your site.





Subject: Polygamy and Judaism

I have noticed in passing remarks by Mr Martillo that
Sefardim still practice polygamy in some parts of the 
world and I take it that the rest of the Jewish groups
practice monogamy.  Now if we start with Genesis
2:24( *NOTE*  Observant Jews please don't be offended
that I don't know how to reference the text but by the
Christian divisions ..2:24 etc.)
we note that "That is why a man leaves his father and
mother and is united with his wife and they become one."
(TEV).
This verse directly follows the creation of Eve.
I would say this is a pretty strong endorsement (in context)
of monogamy.  Yet later in the Scriptures we find many of
the leaders like David and Solomon who are lavish polygamists
(Solomon had hundreds of wives and concubines.)
God seems not to take official notice of this (like He did
when David seduced/"raped" Bathsheba).

What say the learned of Judaism on this topic ?



Bob Brown {...ihnp4!akgua!rjb}