7 Wives For One Messianic "Rabbi"

A British Messianic "rabbi" has taken 7 wives – all at the same time – because he believes God has ordered him to live like a biblical king. His messianic congregation is outraged, and has removed him as their "rabbi."

Comments

[ariel ovadia]

I can't see anything wrong with more than one wife, Sephardic jews had many wives since the days of avraham who had two

[Neo-Conservaguy]

What a smooth operator; convincing seven women to go for the deal. Impressive - and perhaps even acceptable under a mikra-only legal system, but Right Out under rabbinic Judaism.

For the history and the end of multiple wives in Judaism:

http://www.faqs.org/faqs/judaism/FAQ/04-Observance/section-55.html

[shmuel]

To NEO CONSERVAGUY
all though you are write about Ashkenazi jews being band from having more than One wife, Sephardim never excepted the rulling. And there for not oblagated to refrain from more than one wife. Besides the original ruling did not forbid it outright it stated you neede permission from 100 rabbis. Im sure if you had money you could get 100 chabad rabbis to sign off on it.

[Yochanan Lavie]

Polygamy had legitimacy in ancient times. Single women were unprotected. Nowadays, it's just multiple trophy wives. Just because something is permitted by the Torah doesn't mean it's appropriate for our times. Look at the horrors of polygamous living among fundamentalist Mormon breakaways.

[Yos]

Ther's nothing wrong with having as many wives as you can afford and can convince to marry you. Its the messianic crap that offends me.

[Neo-Conservaguy]

"Sephardim never excepted the rulling"

Nor did Temanim, but they were still made to ditch the multiple wife lifestyle when they made aliah. "Accepting" the ruling and being allowing to get away with modern polygamy are two quite different things.

[hashfanatic]

This probably has to do with the fact that there is a hit TV series in America right now, that features some religious guy with multiple families out in Utah.

[Shmuel (Bais)]

Note to Shmuel (Alef) above: dude, check your spelling before you post. You give all of us other Shmuels a bad name.

[Shmuel]

Oh, one more thing: didn't know Chabadnikim could have more than one wife.

[Shmuel S]

I Will check my spelling from now on.
I didn't it would offend you

[Larry]

Is this Messianic as in Meshichisti, or Messianic as in Christian?

[Shmarya]

The latter.

[Nigritude Ultramarine]

Besides the original ruling did not forbid it outright it stated you neede permission from 100 rabbis.

There's a charedi rosh yeshiva in the U.S. who has this heter.

[Chozer B'She'ela]

The 'heter meah rabbanim' is used not to allow polygamy but to allow an ashkenasi husband to remarry when his first marriage is clearly over and a 'get' is unobtainable--e.g. because the wife has disappeared, refuses to accept a get or has become mentally incompetent.

I have heard that the haredi rosh yeshiva mentioned obtained his 'heter meah rabbanim' in the last circumstance, and that controversy ensued because the wife's family, which includes another prominent haredi rabbi, was opposed to her being labelled as mentally incompetent.

Unfortunately no such out exists for women who cannot obtain a 'get.' I have been told that for this reason, Rav Soloveitchik refused to sign these documents.

The British Board of Deputies of British Jews has issued a warning about this guy http://www.bod.org.uk/bod/

And the Telegraph has some insight about "how he does it": fraud http://www.bod.org.uk/bod/

The hands down winner for best site, though, is this: http://www.philipandhissevenwives.com/

p.s.I'm sure there are easier ways to get on BBC...

[mazeartist]

Who is more psychotic? The man ,or the women of his harem? I think it's the women.

[Mary]

I am a plural wife and am VERY happy. I am also Messianic.......So you can agree that I do not have a problem with one man having more than one wife.... but taking seven at one time is NOT very smart!!!!
I think that:
Going outside and letting a big semi-truck hit him will probably be less painful.
From
Mary in Utah.
Good luck.....gotta go....it's my night.

[Nancy]

I dont have a problem with polygamy but a Rabbi or bishop should only have one wife because he is doing God's work more than one wife is a distraction and would keep him from fullfilling his duty to God.He should stick to the laws of Moses and not try to fit things to his own selfish wants.