Professional Documents
Culture Documents
21 Issue #7
11 Marcheshvan 5777
Page 2
Vol. 21 Issue #7
times of the Torah and beyond. From the law in Shofetim, the
Torah seems to indicate that having multiple wives is a negative
thing which could sway ones heart undesirably. From the law
in Ki Teitzei, we see that a likely consequence of polygamy is
favoritism towards one wife and hatred of the other. None of
these promote the practice of polygamy.
There is also evidence from episodes of polygamy
throughout Tanakh as to Hashems view on it. Between
Avrahams two wives, there is much intense strife, culminating
in the expulsion of Hagar. Yaakov having many wives resulted
in much strife between his divided sons. Shlomos many wives
majorly perverted his heart. There was fierce enmity between
Elkanas two wives, Peninah and Chanah, to the extent that
Chanah is actually called a tzarata, rival, in relation to Peninah.
So clearly, instances in Tanakh suggest that polygamy has
negative consequences.
Additionally, it is interesting to point out that when
talking to Yaakov regarding Rachel and Leah, Lavan threatens
Yaakov, If you shall afflict my daughters, and if you shall take
wives beside my daughters... Clearly, Lavan understands that
taking extra wives is an affliction to the other wife. Another
indicator of this idea can be found in Rut, when being her closest
relative, Ploni Almoni is offered Rut as a wife, and rejects this
offer, reasoning ppen ashchit et nachalati, because I would
jeopardize my own inheritance. (Ruth 4:6) Chazal expound on
this reasoning, explaining that Ploni Almonis reasoning was that
he already had another wife. Apparently, he felt that taking
another wife would ruin his household, likely for the exact
reason we have just explained.
What about the Talmudic era? Did any of the Rabbis of
that time engage in polygamy? How did they view it? There is a
mishnah in Yevamot (4:12) that says that if four brothers marry
four women and then all die, if the oldest brother wants to
perform yibum with all of them, then hareshut beyado, it is
permissible for him. This mishnah displays that this was a unique
case of polygamy for practical reasons, and that it was generally
not done. I believe this is further made evident by the first
mishnah in Yoma, in which Rav Yehuda says that there should be
a backup wife prepared to immediately marry the Kohein
haGadol in the event that his other wife dies around Yom
Kippur, because of the passuk regarding the Kohein haGadol,
vechipper baado uvad beito, and make atonement for himself,
and for his house. (Leviticus 16:6) The gemara (13a) expands
this passuk to mean bead beiso, velo bead shnei batim, for his
(singular) household and not two households. In other words,
the Kohein haGadol can only have one wife, according to the
gemara. The fact that the Kohein haGadol, the holiest person in
Bnei Yisrael, could not have multiple wives perhaps suggests that
polygamy was considered as an act unbefitting of holy
individuals.
It appears the only case of polygamy in the Talmudic
era was the case of Rav Tarfon, as recorded in the Yerushalmi in
Yevamot, perek 4, halakhah 12. The Yerushalmi says that Rav
Tarfon married an astonishing 300 women. His reasoning was,
Page 3
Vol. 21 Issue #7
Page 4
Vol. 21 Issue #7