The Tel Aviv Beis Din is dealing with a case that involves a wife seeking to be released from her marriage to a man who has a first wife to whom he is still married and has ten children with her.

Rishon L’Tzion Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef Shlita released a psak halacha in which he rules one may not marry an additional wife without a heter from the beis din under very special and unique circumstances. Rav Yosef then calls on the tzibur at large to notify the beis din in their area if they are aware of any such cases.

This story begins with the Tel Aviv Beis Din, about a week ago, when a woman in her 20s who comes from a traditional background and became increasingly religious over recent years, and today lives what many would call a chareidi lifestyle. During her journey she become close to a cult and like her friends, she was assigned a family who adopted her and looked out for her. The husband of her adopted family is a father of 10 and an educator by profession. She has become quite close to both of her adopted parents and explains she feels like a daughter to both of them.

About a half year into the relationship the young lady was asked by her adopted father to marry him, explaining his current wife is on board and is totally fine with the arrangement. The two sat with the young lady and explained it to her and how for “completeness” of a religious Jewish home, there must be several wives and this is a “high value” (ערך עליון) towards bringing the redemption.

In the hope of persuading the young lady to agree to become a second wife, during several meetings on the topic they brought along a ‘mekubal’ who spoke about the root of one’s soul and how becoming a second wife to the adopted father would also be a tikun for the young lady as well as adding to the ‘completion’ of the adopted father.

Last Elul, late at night after the recitation of slichos, the wedding took place in front of witnesses in a private venue and the chupah was reportedly in line with halacha.

It did not take long for the young second wife to realize she erred and she turned to her family seeking advice. They advised to extricate herself from the position of being a second wife of a man with ten children from his first wife, advising her to head to a beis din to have this done in line with halacha. The woman arrived last week and explained her case before Dayanim Rabbi Shlomo Stessman, Rav Eyal Yosef and Rav Ido Shachar.

The beis din decided to move quickly and they summoned the husband, wife, and the children as well as the two witnesses at the second wife’s chupah. Simultaneously, the beis din issued an order prohibiting all involved from leaving the country, an order filed with police at the airport and other border crossings.

At the first diyun (Hearing) on the case last week, the dayanim learned the husband belongs to a cult which encourages having several wives, calling itself “הבית היהודי השלם” and operating a website under the name. http://www.jewishome.net/ The beis din explained to the man the seriousness of his actions from both a halachic and legal point of view.

The man’s initial response was to begin trying to influence the beis din as to the correctness of his actions, but in light of the hostile attitude of the beis din, the conversation shifted to compel a bill of divorce for the second wife.

In light of this revelation, the particular case as well as the group encouraging such a lifestyle, Rav Yitzchak Yosef released the following psak halacha:

“בעת האחרונה נודע לי על על קיומה של קבוצת אנשים, הנתמכים בידי אנשים הנקראים ‘רבנים’ ‘דיינים’ ואף ‘מקובלים’, המגלים פנים בתורה שלא כהלכה, ובפרט בתורתו של מרן אאמו”ר זצוק”ל, ומפיצים דעה כוזבת שכביכול הותרה הרצועה, ובזמן הזה מותר ואף מצוה על איש הנשוי לאשה כדת משה וישראל, לשאת אשה נוספת. אנשי הקבוצה פונים לאנשים ונשים באמצעות כלי התקשורת השונים, תחת השם ‘הבית היהודי השלם’, ומשדלים את האנשים לשאת אשה שנייה, ומפתים את הנשים בשפת חלקות להינשא לאיש נשוי, באמרם כי אין בכך כל בושה, ואדרבא זהו מעשה נאצל שמקרב את הגאולה, ומחזק את קדושת עם ישראל, ועוד דברים חמורים שאין להם שורש וענף, והמנוגדים לדעת תורה”.

“אנשי הקבוצה מבטיחים למי שילך בדרכם ‘היתר’ שיקרי מבית דין, ייעוץ משפטי ועוד. אוי לנו שכך עלתה לנו בימינו, שמסלפים דברי אלוקים חיים, ומתירים חרצובות לשונם לדבר שווא ושקר, ועוד בשמם של גדולי ישראל הקדמונים כרבותינו הגר”א והיעב”ץ, ועוד מגדולי האחרונים, ובשמו של מרן זצוק”ל וקדושים אשר עמו”. בפסק הדין הובאו מקורות רבים המוכיחים ומנמקים את איסור היהדות כיום על אישה שנייה ובסופם נכתב כי ‘והנה הדבר פשוט ואינו צריך לפנים, שאסור לאיש הנשוי לאשה כדת משה וישראל, לשאת אשה אחרת על פניה ללא היתר של בית דין רבני מוסמך'”.

The rav also cited many sources to back the position prohibiting one from have more than one wife today.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)