CHRISTIAN OPPOSITION TO POLYGAMY AND HOW IT CAME ABOUT
from Rabbi Israel Wichman

Sometimes we need to look back to gain insight and a little truth and openness to a subject which is shrouded in ignorance.

Firstly, I have heard it said, - “no it’s not in the New Testament!” When we come into Nazarene Israel we have to study all the Scripture as one Book. No Old and New! All one! And I repeat, All One! Yahshua, Shaul and the other apostles and disciples of the Master taught from the Tanach. One thing they didn’t have was, a “New Testament” or church for that matter! So it is vitally important to understand the norms and historic settings of the Tanach periods and to study Torah particularly relating to the subject of Patriarchal Plural Marriages.

Christian commentators with a perverted perspective following in the Roman Catholic tradition have tremendous difficulty with for example Ya’akov (Jacob) having four wives. This very point shows to what extent the Roman church is not a continuation of Hebrew traditions, society and morality, but rather the continuation of Greek and Roman pagan traditions, society and morality.

Homosexuality was a major force in ancient Greece. The warrior class considered themselves to be super masculine, and therefore the highest object of their affections and attention was other males. The preferred relationship was a seasoned soldier with a young boy. They viewed women as "breeders", an unfortunate necessity for continued population, but not ideal partners. In Sparta, each new recruit in the army (age twelve) was given to an older soldier to be his sex slave for two years. Plato and Socrates, the supposedly great Greek philosophers also were homosexuals, and lauded the practice. (See "The Pink Swastika" by Lively and Abrams pages 15-19)

Christianity somewhat discouraged homosexuality, but adopted entirely the Greek attitude towards women and normal relations between men and women.
Christianity adopted the view that the normal relationship between a man and a woman is intrinsically sinful, could only be justified for the sake of having children, and that the whole institution of marriage is only a concession to the yetzer hara (evil inclination). Christianity held that the ideal is for a man to castrate himself (Mathew 19:12), and barring that he should if at all possible be celibate. Even having one wife is a concession to the yetzer hara, and having more than one wife is out of the question.

This is in stark contrast to Hebrew ideals. Homosexuality is a capital crime. Normal marital relations are not just a concession to the yetzer hara, they are an ideal. A posuk in Mishlei says "In your youth you should sow your seed, and also in old age you should not let your hand rest." Chazal (our sages) interpret this to mean that one should be married and have normal marital relations even when past child bearing years. In many communities, a man would not receive s'micha (Orthodox Judaism rabbinical ordination) until he was married. A person cannot be a teacher of small children unless he is married. They considered the married state to be the ideal state.

The Christian opposition to polygamy is deep rooted and still virulent. Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon religion was murdered in an anti polygamy massacre about 160 years ago. Within this decade U.S. Government agents murdered a cult leader and 100 of his followers. One of the "charges" against him in demonizing him to the United States Public was that his group practiced polygamy. We do not support pseudo religions or cults, but we can see from these two incidents the background against which the Cherem Rabbeinu Gershom (polygamy ban) was made.

Most people consider the idea of a man having two wives as somehow immoral. In fact, all of the halachic Judaism authorities state without the slightest hesitation or doubt that the reason for the ban was not for moral issues, not to protect the Torah, but for purely social reasons. The Cherem Rabbeinu Gershom (orthodox rabbinical ruling) against polygamy which was done to avoid massacres by the Christians, will probably totally disappear when Orthodox Judaism realizes that they no longer have to worry about what the Christians want from them. And perhaps this is another interpretation of what the Vilna Gaon meant when he said that eliminating the Cherem Rabbeinu Gershom would bring the g'ulah (redemption) closer. When we can worship Yahweh and do his commandments without worrying what the gentiles think, we will be much closer to the redemption in his opinion.

Mipnei chata'einu galinu mei'artzenu, because of our sins we were exiled from our land. We went into exile among Edom, the descendants of Esav/Esau. Rav Yaakov Emden says that the reason for the ban was danger from the uncircumcised people (that is the Christians) among whom they lived. Christianity worked hard over the period from about 600 c.e. to 900 c.e. to eliminate polygamy in Europe. By the year 858, Herard of Tours got so far as to limit people to two wives. Shortly thereafter, the ban among Christians in Europe became almost complete, and they were soon restricted to only one wife. Since the Christians were now banned from something that had been normal practice for many years, they resented the fact that the Jews could continue to have more than one wife.

When goyim resent Jews, Jews get killed.

Therefore to prevent massacres of the Jews, Rabbeinu Gershom banned polygamy.

The ban was limited geographically to Germany and the parts of France that were near by. It spread to Poland and European Russia. It was not accepted in southern France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Africa and Asia. In the regions where it was accepted, the ban included a cherem (excommunication) for violators. In the areas where it was not accepted, it had no force whatsoever. Rav Yaakov Emden wrote that since the whole reason for the takonah was fear of the Christians, so, of course, as soon as a person is not located in a Christian country, the ban does not apply to him. If there is a fertility problem (usually considered to be ten years without children), Rabbeinu Gershom himself said that there was no ban whatsoever, so a man could take a second wife even in Germany itself even before the year 5000 and even more so now, and certainly in Israel, where the takonah never applied.

Rome and the church were our framework for one thousand nine hundred years. During that period, we defended ourselves as best we could. Among the defences was to ban polygamy, something considered by Yahweh and his Torah to be moral, fine and normal. Something considered fine and normal in the vast majority of human societies since the beginning of history (as if we need them for justification). But because of our exile in Europe, we picked up certain alien values.
We somehow took polygamy, something practiced by our Patriarchs, by King David, etc. throughout our history, and associated with gilui arayos, the depraved sexual practices which are practiced or condoned by the peoples surrounding us. We must now divorce ourselves from this goyish mindset.
Polygamy was part of the founding of our people, and was part of Yahweh’s Divine plan for us.

Shalom Aliechem in Moshiach Yahshua Malkeynu

Rabbi Israel Wichman

Original Plan of Yahweh For Marriage?

Shalom Simon from Rabbi Israel Wichman

To clarify your Discussion contribution, I assume that with the name at the begininning that this is written by Rabbi Raymond Apple, and is he of Orthodox Judaism understanding?

I would encourage you to read the Forum headed "Much has been said recently regarding Torah Plural Marriage."
One of the most commonly attempted arguments against polygamy makes the assertion that polygamy is supposedly not the "original plan of Yahweh for marriage".

This assertion is based solely upon two sequential factors.
1. Yahshua's reference to "at the beginning" in Verse 4 of the Mattityahu/Matthew 19:3-9 passage, and thus,
2. the "Beginning" story: Adam and Eve.

That "at the beginning" phrase, which Yahshua used there, of course, was only addressing divorce, not Torah Plural Marriage.

Moreover, there is an additional very exegetically important matter to note about all this. Namely, the very story of "the beginning" (with Adam and Eve) ---indeed, the entire book of Beresheeth/Genesis (which starts with the first three words, "In the beginning")--- was written by Moshe. And Moshe was a polygamist with two wives! Certainly, the very mortal author of the story "at the beginning" would know what he wrote and whether his own polygamy was not part of "Yahweh's" (if it was not)!

Accordingly, it is clear that that phrase, "at the beginning", is simply not relevant to the topic of polygamy, anyway.
Nevertheless, though, that phrase is what forms the basis for the subsequent factor pertaining to Adam and Eve.
Namely, the argument asserts that, because the Scriptures only record that Yahweh seemingly only made "one Eve" for Adam, that somehow implies an "original plan of Yahweh for marriage" only for monogamy. The resulting implied speculation from that is that polygamy is to be perceived as somehow against that perceived "original plan of Yahweh for marriage".

Upon deeper investigation, however, that speculative assertion does not hold up.
If doctrine would hold people to a perceived "original plan of Yahweh", then at least two things must also be binding upon mankind.
For examples,
1. people must only walk around in nudity, and
2. people must never die.
Of course, to suggest such things is an absolute absurdity.
According to the Bible, the reason that those two examples are obviously not binding as doctrine is because of Adam's sin. That sin of Adam had forever after changed (as it were) the "plan of Yahweh" as applies to us for doctrine.

The Scriptures inform us that "the wages of sin is death" (Romiyah/Romans 6:23). From that, the Bible further explains that, "Wherefore, as by one man [[ i.e., Adam ]] sin entered the world, and death [[ entered the world ]] by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." (Romiyah 5:12.)

When Adam sinned, death entered in.
Adam's sin is why we now die. And it is also why we now wear clothes rather than remaining nude, according to Beresheeth 3:21. The fact that we now wear clothes and do die is the proof that we are no longer under any perceived "original plan".

So what has Yahweh planned for us instead? He gave us "the second Adam", which is Moshiach, that we might have life everlasting in Him (per Yochanan/John 3:16.).

"And so it is written,
The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam [[ which is Moshiach ]] was made a quickening spirit."
Alef Qorintyah/1 Corinthians 15:45.

The first Adam brought death by his sin. The second Adam, which is Moshiach, brought life by His righteousness.

"Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Master Yahshua from heaven."
Alef Qorintyah15:46-47.

Adam was of the flesh, while Moshiach is of the Ruach (Spirit).
Because Romiyah 8:1 shows us that we are to walk in the Ruach and not according to the flesh, we are certainly NOT supposed to follow after the example of the first Adam (who was of the flesh), but after the second Adam (who is of the Ruach), which is Moshiach.

With this now realized that we follow after the "second Adam", Moshiach, we look to Moshiach as the example set for us in the true and current "plan of Yahweh for marriage". And this is explicitly confirmed and explained for us in Ephsiyah/Ephesians 5:22-25:

"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto Yahshua. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Moshiach is the Head of the Yisraelite congregation: and he is the Saviour of the body. Therefore as the Yisraelite congregation is subject unto Moshiach, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Moshiach also loved the Yisraelite congregation, and gave himself for it".
Ephsiyah 5:22-25

This is very explicit. The "plan of Yahweh for marriage" is detailed as being modeled after, not the example of the first Adam (of flesh) and his wife Eve, but after the example of the second Adam, which is Moshiach (of Ruach) and His Yisraelite congregation.

Following this model, each husband is to love his wives as selflessly, "footwashingly", and life-givingly as Moshiach so loves the Yisraelite congregation (that He laid down His life in the depth of such love). So too, each wife is to love her husband as each Yisraelite congregation so loves the one and only Moshiach Yahshua.

As there is only one Moshiach for the Yisraelite congregations, there is only one husband. And as there are more than only one Yisraelite congregation loved by Moshiach, it would not be sinful if there be more than one wife, of course.

This is confirmed, of course, by the Parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25:1-13. The Master Yahshua Moshiach described Himself as the polygamist Bridegroom for the "five wise virgins", which are the Yisraelite congregations.

So, in conclusion, what we see is that the "plan of Yahweh for marriage" is very explicitly NOT after the model of the fleshly, death-causing first Adam and his (Scripture-recorded) apparent "one" wife, Eve.

Rather, the Hebrew Scripture is clear that the current "plan of Yahweh for marriage" is after the model of the Spiritual, life-bringing second Adam, Moshiach, and His Yisraelite congregation.

May I just quote our Master - "Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to complete. For truly, I say to you, till the heaven and the earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall by no means pass from the Torah till all be done." Matt. 5:17,18

I trust this will enhance your own understanding of the issue from another deeper perspective.

Shalom Aliechem (Peace to you) from Rabbi Israel Wichman