Jewish views on marriage
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Judaism traditionally considers marriage to be the ideal state of personal existence; a man without a wife, or a woman without a husband, is considered incomplete.1
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Engagement
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This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2010) |
In Jewish law, engagement is defined as the mutual promise between a man and a woman to have a marriage at some future time and the terms on which it shall take place.2 The promise may be made by the intending parties or by their respective parents or other relatives on their behalf.3 This promise is formalized in a document known as the Shtar Tena'im, the "Document of Conditions", and, at Orthodox weddings, is read prior to the badekin. After this reading, the custom is to have the mothers of the bride and groom break a plate, for luck.
In Haredi circles, engagements for marriage may be brought about by a third person, often a professional match-maker ("shadchan"). The shadchan often receives a "brokerage-fee" agreed upon by custom, paid by the parties. In these situations, even though the marriage preliminaries are the concern of the parents, the children are not forced into marriage over their objections, nor may a marriage be blocked as a result of the objections of one's parents. The Shidduchim system is therefore a system of arranged introductions rather than arranged marriages, although in some traditional circles it comes to a system of arranged marriages. Even in cases where a formal shadchan is not used, it remains common for the person introducing the prospective bride and groom to each other to remain involved and act as an intermediary, or informal shadchan, when necessary.
Betrothal and marriage (erusin and nissu'in)
In Jewish law, marriage consists of two separate acts, called erusin (or kiddushin, meaning sanctification), which is the betrothal ceremony, and nissu'in, the actual ceremony for the marriage. Erusin changes the couple's interpersonal status, while nissu'in brings about the legal consequences of the change of status. In Talmudic times, these two ceremonies usually took place about a year apart. The bride lived with her parents until the actual marriage ceremony (nissuin), which would take place in a room or tent that the groom had set up for her. Since the Middle Ages, the two ceremonies took place as a combined ceremony, and the marriage ceremony started to be performed publicly.
There are three ways for a Jewish couple to effect erusin (Mishna, Tractate Kiddushin 1:1):
- With money (kesef) or with an object of value, such as a ring or a coin, for the purpose of contracted marriage, and in the presence of two witnesses, and she actively accepts;
- Through a contract (shtar) in the presence of two witnesses, containing the declaration of erusin (see below); or
- By sexual intercourse with the intention of creating a bond of marriage; a method strongly discouraged by the rabbinic sages and intended only for levirate marriages.
Though all methods are halachically valid, the favoured practice since ancient times has been for erusin to take place only with kesef (i.e. "with money") - giving an object of value - which is almost always a ring, but can be a coin.
Halachically, a Jewish marriage is a personal act between a man and a woman. The actual marriage is the declaration of marriage (consecration) by the man and acceptance by the woman. The function of the rabbi is to act as the advisor to the couple. The civil law of many countries requires the rabbi also to act as an agent for the State during the marriage ceremony, and for two independent witnesses to sign the wedding certificate.
Matrimony
Marital harmony
Marital harmony, known as "shalom bayit," is valued in Jewish tradition. The Talmud argues that a man should love his wife as much as he loves himself, and honour her more than he honours himself4; indeed, one who honours his wife was said, by the classical rabbis, to be rewarded with wealth5. Similarly, a husband was expected to discuss with his wife any worldly matters that might arise in his life5. Tough love was frowned upon; the Talmud forbids a husband from being overbearing to his household6, and domestic abuse by him was also condemned7. It was said of a wife that God counts her tears7.
As for the wife, the greatest praise the Talmudic rabbis offered to any woman was that given to a wife that fulfils the wishes of her husband8; to this end, an early midrash argues that a wife should not leave the home too frequently9. A wife, also, was expected to be modest, even if the only other person present with her was her husband10. It was believed, in classical times, that God's presence dwelt in a pure and loving home11.
Conjugal obligations and rights
Conjugal obligations and rights in Judaism are ultimately based on those apparent in the Bible, although they have been filtered and expanded on by many prominent rabbinic authorities throughout history. In the bible (in the non-traditional view), the wife is treated as a possession owned by her husband12, but later Judaism imposed several obligations on the husband, effectively giving the wife several rights and freedoms12; indeed, being a Jewish wife was often a more favourable situation than being a wife in many other cultures12. For example, the Talmud establishes the principle that a wife is entitled, but not compelled, to the same dignity and social standing as her husband1314; she is entitled, according to this, to keep any additional advantages she had before her marriage, as a result of her social status1314.
In the Bible
In the opinion of biblical criticism, a wife in biblical times was regarded as chattel, belonging to her husband1512; indeed, the term classically used in Hebrew for husband was ba'al, literally meaning lord, while that used for wife was be'ulah12, literally meaning lorded over. However, there is no biblical evidence of wives being isolated from society15; there are several biblical passages describing the presence of women (although, not necessarily that of wives) at festivities1617181920, and others in which they take part in public rejoicing, song, and dance2122.
A wife was also seen as being of high value, and was therefore, usually, carefully looked after1512. Early nomadic communities practised a form of marriage known as beena, in which a wife would own a tent of her own, within which she retains complete independence from her husband23; this principle appears to survive in parts of early Israelite society, as some early passages of the bible appear to portray certain wives as each owning a tent as a personal possession23 (specifically, Jael24, Sarah25, and Jacob's wives26). In later times, the bible describes wives as being given the innermost room(s) of the husband's house, as her own private area to which men were not permitted2728; in the case of wealthy husbands, the bible describes their wives as having each been given an entire house for this purpose2930.
It was not, however, a life of complete freedom. The descriptions of the bible suggest that a wife was expected to perform certain household tasks: spinning, sewing, weaving, manufacture of clothing, fetching of water, baking of bread, and animal husbandry31323334. The Book of Proverbs even contains an entire acrostic about the duties which would be performed by a virtuous wife35.
The husband too, is indirectly implied to have some responsibilities to his wife. The Covenant Code orders men who have two wives (polygynously) to not deprive the first wife of food, of clothing, nor of sexual activity36; if the husband does not provide the first wife with these things, she is to be divorced, without cost to her37. The Talmud interprets this as a requirement for a man to provide food and clothing to, and have sex with, each of his wives, even if he only has one7.
As a polygynous society, the Israelites did not exhibit any laws which imposed marital fidelity on men3839. Adulterous married women, and adulterous betrothed women, however, were subject to the death penalty, by the biblical laws against adultery, as were their male accomplices404142. According to the Priestly Code of the Book of Numbers, if a pregnant43 woman was suspected of adultery, she was to be subjected to the Ordeal of Bitter Water44, a form of trial by ordeal, but one that took a miracle to convict. The literary prophets indicate that adultery was a frequent occurrence, despite their strong protests against it45464748, and these legal strictnesses (against women)38.
In the Talmud and Rabbinic Judaism
The Talmud sets a minimum provision which a husband must provide to his wife:
- enough bread for at least two meals a day7
- sufficient oil for cooking and for lighting purposes7
- sufficient wood for cooking7
- fruit and vegetables7
- wine, if it is customary in the locality for women to drink it7
- three meals consisting of fish and meat, on each shabbat7
- a silver coin (Hebrew: ma'ah) each week, as pocket-money7.
Rabbinic courts could compel the husband to make this provision, if he fails to do so voluntarily49. Moses Schreiber, a prominent opponent of early Reform Judaism, argued that if a man could not provide his wife with this minimum, he should be compelled to divorce her50; other Jewish rabbis argued that a man should be compelled to hire himself out, as a day-labourer, if he cannot otherwise make this provision to his wife7.
According to prominent Jewish writers of the Middle Ages, if a man is absent from his wife for a long period, the wife should be allowed to sell her husbands property, if necessary to sustain herself5152. Similarly, they argued that if a wife had to take out a loan to pay for her sustainance, during such absence, her husband had to pay the debt, once he returns5152.
In order to offset the husband's duty to support his wife, she was required by the Talmud to surrender all her earnings to her husband, together with any profit she makes by accident, and the right of usufruct on her property53; the wife was not required to do this if she wished to support herself53. Although the wife always retained ownership of her property itself, if she died while still married to her husband, he was to be her heir, according to the opinion of the Talmud53; this principle, though, was modified, in various ways, by the rabbis of the Middle Ages7.
Home and household
In Jewish tradition, the husband was expected to provide a home for his wife, furnished in accordance local custom, suitably for the husband's status7; the marital couple were expected to live together in this home, although if the husband's choice of work made it difficult to do so, the Talmud excuses him from the obligation54. Traditionally, if the husband changed his usual abode, the wife was considered to have a duty to move with him7. In the Middle Ages, it was argued that if a person continued to refuse to live with their spouse, the spouse in question had sufficient grounds for divorce5556
Most Jewish religious authorities held the opinion that a husband must allow his wife to eat at the same table as him, even if he gave his wife enough money to provide for herself7. By contrast, if a husband mistreated his wife, or lived in a disreputable neighbourhood, the Jewish religious authorities would permit the wife to move to another home elsewhere, and would compel the husband to finance her life there7.
Expanding on the household tasks which the bible implies a wife should undertake12, rabbinic literature requires her to perform all the housework (such as baking, cooking, washing, nursing her children, etc.), unless her marriage had given the husband a large dowry7; in the latter situation, the wife was expected only to tend to supposedly affectionate tasks, such as making his bed, and serving him his food7. Jewish tradition expected the husband to provide the bed linen and kitchen utensils7. If the wife had young twin children, the Talmud would make her husband responsible for nursing one of them57.
Clothing
The Talmud elaborates on the biblical requirement of the husband to provide his wife with clothing, by insisting that each year he must provide each wife with 50 zuzim's-worth of clothing58, including garments appropriate to each season of the year7. The Talmudic rabbis insist that this annual clothing gift should include one hat, one belt, and three pairs of shoes59 (one pair for each of the three main annual festivals: Passover, Shabu'ot, and Sukkoth58). So too was the husband expected, by the classical rabbis, to provide his wife with jewellery and perfumes, if he lived in an area where this was customary7.
Bodily obligations
The Talmud argues that a husband is responsible for the protection of his wife's body. If his wife became ill, then he would be compelled, by the Talmud, to defray any medical expense which might be incurred in relation to this53; the Talmud requires him to ensure that the wife receives care53. Although he technically had the right to divorce his wife, enabling him to avoid paying for her medical costs, several prominent rabbis throughout history condemned such a course of action as inhuman behaviour, even if the wife was suffering from a prolonged illness7.
If the wife dies, even if not due to illness, the Talmud's stipulations require the husband to arrange, and pay for, her burial60; the burial must, in the opinion of the Talmud, be one conducted in a manner befitting the husband's social status, and in accordance with the local custom60. Prominent rabbis of the Middle Ages clarified this, stating that the husband must make any provisions required by the local burial customs, potentially including the hiring of mourners, and the erection of a tombstone6162. According to the talmud, and later rabbinic writers, if the husband was absent, or refused to do these things, a rabbinic court should arrange the wife's funeral, selling some of the husband's property in order to defray the costs6162.
If the wife was captured, the husband was required by the talmud and later writers to pay the ransom demanded for her release63646566; there is some debate whether the husband was required only to pay up to the wife's market value as a slave67, or whether he must pay any ransom, even to the point of having to sell his possessions to raise the funds7. If the husband and wife were both taken captive, the historic Jewish view was that the rabbinic courts should first pay the ransom for the wife, selling some of the husband's property in order to raise the funds63646566.
Fidelity
In the classical era, the attitude of rabbinic scholars was comparatively mild towards adultery39; although the Talmud allowed people to be convicted of adultery merely on the basis of circumstantial evidence68, it forbids conviction if
- the woman had been raped, rather than consenting to the crime69, or
- the woman had mistaken the paramour for her husband39, or
- the woman had not already been cautioned, by her husband, in the presence of two witnesses, before the time the crime allegedly took place, against intimately associating with the paramour in question68, or
- the woman had not known the intimate details of the laws against adultery, before she committed the crime39
These rules made it practically impossible to convict any woman of adultery, and in nearly every case women were acquitted39. However, Jewish priests were compelled to divorce their wife if they (the wife) had been raped, by someone other than her husband, due to the religious belief that a priest should be untainted7039.
Even when a woman was convicted, the punishment was comparatively mild; the death penalty (for all crimes) was abolished in 40 AD71, possibly under pressure from the Roman overlords, and adulteresses were flogged instead39. Nevertheless, the husbands of convicted adulteresses were not permitted, by the Talmud, to forgive their guilty wives, instead being compelled to divorce them72; according to Maimonides, a conviction for adultery nullified any right that the wife's marriage contract (Hebrew: ketubah) gave her to a compensation payment for being divorced73. Once divorced, an adulteress was not permitted, by the Talmudic writers, to marry the paramour she had committed the adultery with74.
As for the men who committed adultery (with another man's wife), Abba ben Joseph and Abba Arika are both quoted in the Talmud as expressing abhorrence, and arguing that such men would be condemned to Gehenna75.
Family Purity
The laws of "family purity" (tohorat hamishpacha) are considered an important part of an Orthodox Jewish marriage and adherence to them is (in Orthodox Judaism) regarded as a prerequisite of marriage.. This involves observance of the various details of the menstrual niddah laws. Orthodox brides and grooms often attend classes on this subject prior to the wedding. The Niddah laws are regarded as an intrinsic part of marital life (rather than just associating it with women in general). Together with a few other rules, including those about the ejaculation of semen, these are collectively termed "family Purity".
Sexual relations
Regular sexual relations are expected between husband and wife. This obligation is known as "onah."76 In Jewish tradition, sexual relations are the obligation of a man to his wife. Although engagement in sexual relations should be entirely at the discretion of the woman, a wife should not withhold or use sex as a negotiating ploy.
Child marriage
A ketannah was completely subject to her father's authority, and her father could arrange a marriage for her, whether she agreed to it or not77; similarly her father could accept a divorce document (get) on her behalf78. If the father was dead, or missing, the brothers of the ketannah, collectively, had the right to arrange a marriage for her, as had her mother77. In the Talmud, there is inconclusive debate about whether the na'arah should be treated like the ketannah in relation to marriage, or whether she should have the freedom to marry as she wished, like the bogeret7980.
Rav says in the Talmud81, that although a man has the legal authority to marry off his daughter when she is a ketannah, he is prohibited from doing so, as she is too young to give consent. Maimonides82 understands this83 as proper practice rather than as an absolute prohibition. Tosafot84 point out that it was necessary to disregard this in their day (mediæval France and Germany) for the sake of the girl, as the pressures of the exile necessitated that a man marry off his daughter as soon as he had the money for a dowry, to prevent his daughter from remaining eternally an agunah (Tosafot's term).
Annulment of child marriage
For a ketannah, the first marriage imposed on her by her father was completely compulsory for her; the standard adult divorce process was necessary to terminate it85. However, according to the Talmud, if the marriage did end (due to divorce or the husband's death), any further marriages were optional; the ketannah had the right to annul them85. In the Talmud's view, for marriages imposed on a ketannah by someone other than her father (due to the father's absence), the ketannah always had the right to annul them, even the first85.
The choice of a ketannah to annul a marriage, known in Hebrew as mi'un (literally meaning refusal/denial/protest)85, lead to a true annulment, not a divorce; a divorce document (get) was not necessary86, and a ketannah who did this was not regarded by legal regulations as a divorcee, in relation to the marriage87. Unlike divorce, mi'un was regarded with distaste by many rabbinic writers85, even in the Talmud88; in earlier classical Judaism, one major faction - the House of Shammai - argued that such annulment rights only existed during the betrothal period (erusin), and not once the actual marriage (nissu'in) had begun89.
For a formal declaration of mi'un, the usual procedure was for the ketannah to say I do not wish to live with my husband, in the presence of two witnesses; her annulment would take effect immediately after this was said87. In classical times, it was customary to also write a get mi'un, a document recording the fact of the mi'un. The mi'un did not however need to be explicitly declared for the annulment to take effect. If a ketannah merely demonstrated that she disapproved of the marriage, this would constitute annulment87; for example, she could betroth (erusin) herself to another man, which for a ketannah would automatically annul her previous marriage87 (except where the previous marriage was the first marriage imposed on her by her father85). However, if the marriage had begun when the girl was at least 6 years old, and she had expressed her consent to it, she was expected to perform any annulment via a formal declaration, unless she had been less than 10 years old when the marriage began, and had not appeared to fully appreciate what was going on9091.
In practice
In mediaeval times, it was customary for girls to be married off while they were still children - before she became a bogeret92 (generally age twelve-and-a-half). Boys too, were under cultural pressure; several Talmudic rabbis urged that boys should be married as soon as they reach the age of majority93. Indeed, anyone unmarried after the age of twenty was said to have been cursed by God94; rabbinical courts frequently tried to compel an individual to marry, if they had passed the age of twenty without marriage95. Nevertheless, the classical rabbis viewed study of the Torah as a valid reason for remaining unmarried, although they were only rarely willing to regard life-long celibacy favourably96.
Despite the young threshold for marriage, marriages with a large age gap between the spouses (e.g. between a young man and an old woman) were thoroughly opposed by the classical rabbis9798. In the Middle Ages, many rabbis tried to abolish child marriage altogether; this, however, was due to their distaste for mi'un. Effectively, child marriage became nearly obsolete in Judaism 85; in modern times, it is an extremely rare event, as most areas with large Jewish communities have national laws against it.
Intermarriage
According to the National Jewish Population Survey 2000-01, 47% of marriages involving Jews in the United States between 1996 and 2001 were with non-Jewish partners. Rates of intermarriage have increased in other countries in the diaspora as well. Jewish leaders in different branches generally agree that possible assimilation is a crisis, but they differ on the proper response to intermarriage.
- All branches of Orthodox Judaism refuse to accept any validity or legitimacy of intermarriages.
- Conservative Judaism does not sanction intermarriage, but encourages acceptance of the non-Jewish spouse within the family, hoping that such acceptance will lead to conversion.
- Reform Judaism and Reconstructionist Judaism permit total personal autonomy in interpretation of Jewish Law, and intermarriage is not forbidden. Reform and Reconstructionist rabbis are free to take their own approach to performing marriages between a Jewish and non-Jewish partner. Many but not all seek agreement from the couple that the children will be raised as Jewish.
There are also differences between streams on what constitutes an intermarriage, arising from their differing criteria for being Jewish in the first place. Orthodox and Conservative streams do not accept as Jewish a person whose mother is not Jewish, nor a convert whose conversion was conducted under the authority of a more liberal stream.
Marriage in Israel
Civil marriage does not exist in Israel, and the only institutionalized form of Jewish marriage is the religious one, i.e. a marriage conducted under the auspices of the rabbinate. Specifically, marriage of Israeli Jews must be conducted according to halakha, as viewed by Orthodox Judaism. This implies that people who cannot get married according to Jewish law (e.g. a kohen and a divorcée, or a Jew and one who is not halachically Jewish) cannot have their union legally sanctioned. This has led for calls, mostly from the secular segment of the Israeli public, for the institution of civil marriage. There are many people affected by this law. In the Land of Israel today, there are approximately "300,000 Israelis who cannot marry because one of the partners is not Jewish, or his or her Jewishness cannot be determined."citation needed
Some secular Israelis travel abroad to have civil marriages, either because they do not believe in the Orthodox view of Judaism or because their union cannot be sanctioned by halakha. These marriages are legally binding in Israel, though not recognized by the rabbinate as Jewish.
While people of different religions may be citizens of the State of Israel, all legal marriages performed in Israel must be sanctioned by religious authorities of one faith or another. Couples of mixed religion, for example a Christian and a Jew, or a Muslim and a Jew, cannot legally marry in Israel.
Divorce
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Halakha (Jewish law) allows for divorce. The document of divorce is termed a get.The final divorce ceremony involves the husband giving the get document into the hand of the wife or her agent, but the wife may sue in rabbinical court to initiate the divorce. In such a case, a husband may be compelled to give the get, if he has violated any of his numerous obligations; this was traditionally accomplished by beating and or monetary coercion. The rationale was that since he was required to divorce his wife due to his (or her) violations of the contract, his good inclination really desires to divorce her, and we are only helping him to do what he wants to do anyway. In this case, the wife may or may not be entitled to a ketuba payment.
Judaism recognized the right of an abused wife (whether physically or psychologically) to a divorce already by around the 12th century.
Conservative Judaism follows halacha, though differently than Orthodox Judaism. Reform Jews usually use an egalitarian form of the Ketubah at their weddings. They generally do not issue Jewish divorces, seeing a civil divorce as both necessary and sufficient; however, some Reform rabbis encourage the couple to go through a Jewish divorce procedure. Conservative and Orthodox Judaism do not recognize civil law as overriding religious law, and thus do not view a civil divorce as sufficient. Thus, a man or woman may be considered divorced by the Reform Jewish community, but still married by the Conservative community. Orthodox Judaism does not recognize Reform weddings because, if they did, the children of a Reform woman who remarried would be considered mamzerim, the children of an adulterous relationship, a personal status that does not allow a person to marry a non-mamzer. This allows Reform Jews to become, and marry, Orthodox Jews should they choose to.
Agunah
Traditionally, when a husband fled or his whereabouts were unknown for any reason, the woman was considered an agunah (literally “an anchored woman”) and was not allowed to remarry because in traditional Judaism, divorce is initiated by the husband. Prior to modern communication, death of the husband while in a distant land was a common cause of this situation. In modern times, when a husband refuses to issue a get due to money, property or custody battles, the woman who cannot remarry is considered an agunah. A man in this situation is termed a Misarev Get (literally "a refuser of a divorce document").
Within both the Conservative and Orthodox communities there are efforts to prevent the possibility that a woman might not be able to obtain a Jewish divorce from her husband and to deal with such problems post-facto by using various Jewish and secular legal methods. None of the legal solutions address the agunah problem in the case of a missing husband.
There have been reports that in order to prevent their wives from becoming Agunot, Jewish men who realized their fate during the terrorist attacks of 9/11 faxed gittim to their wives from their offices in the World Trade towers.citation needed
See also
In Judaism
- Jewish wedding
- Erusin
- Negiah (guidelines for physical contact)
- Niddah (ritual purity laws)
- Shalom bayit (peace and harmony in the relationship between husband and wife)
- Shidduch (finding a marriage partner)
- Yichud (prohibitions of seclusion with the opposite sex)
- Women in Judaism
In other religions
References
- ^ Babylonian Talmud - Yebomoth 62b.
- ^ The Principles of Jewish Law, Ed Menachem Elon, ISBN 0-7065-1415-7, p 353.
- ^ (Kiddushin 9b)
- ^ Sanhedrin 76b
- ^ a b Baba Metzia 59b
- ^ Gittin 6b
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w This article incorporates text from the 1901–1906 Jewish Encyclopedia article "Husband and Wife", a publication now in the public domain.
- ^ Nedarim 66b
- ^ Genesis Rabbah 65:2
- ^ Shabbat 140b
- ^ Sotah 17a
- ^ a b c d e f g This article incorporates text from the 1901–1906 Jewish Encyclopedia article "marriage", a publication now in the public domain.
- ^ a b Ketubot 48a
- ^ a b Ketubot 61a
- ^ a b c This article incorporates text from the 1903 Encyclopaedia Biblica article "marriage", a publication now in the public domain.
- ^ Exodus 21:22
- ^ Deuteronomy 25:11
- ^ 2:5+&verse=&src=! Ruth 2:5+
- ^ 1 Samuel 9:11
- ^ 2 Samuel 20:16
- ^ Exodus 15:20-21
- ^ Judges 16:27
- ^ a b William Robertson Smith, Kinship and Marriage in early Arabia, (1885), 167
- ^ Judges 4:7
- ^ Genesis 24:26
- ^ Genesis 31:33-34
- ^ Judges 15:1
- ^ Judges 16:9
- ^ 1 Kings 7:8
- ^ 2 Kings 24:15
- ^ Genesis 29:9
- ^ Exodus 2:16
- ^ 1 Samuel 2:19
- ^ 1 Samuel 8:13
- ^ Proverbs 31:10-31
- ^ Exodus 21:10
- ^ Exodus 21:11
- ^ a b This article incorporates text from the 1903 Encyclopaedia Biblica article "Jealousy, Ordeal of", a publication now in the public domain.
- ^ a b c d e f g This article incorporates text from the 1901–1906 Jewish Encyclopedia article "Adultery", a publication now in the public domain.
- ^ Ezekiel 16:40
- ^ Leviticus 20:10
- ^ Deuteronomy 22:22-25
- ^ Peake's commentary on the Bible (1962 edition), ad loc
- ^ Numbers 5:11-31
- ^ Jeremiah 7:9
- ^ Jeremiah 23:10
- ^ Hosea 4:2
- ^ Malachi 3:5
- ^ Ketubot 77a
- ^ Moses Schreiber, Hatam Sofer on Eben ha-'Ezer, 131-132
- ^ a b Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Ishut 12:10-22
- ^ a b Jacob ben Asher, Eben ha-'Ezer, 70
- ^ a b c d e Ketubot 46b-47b
- ^ Ketubot 61b
- ^ Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Ishut 14:1-16
- ^ Jacob ben Asher, Eben ha-'Ezer, 76-77
- ^ Ketubot 59b
- ^ a b This article incorporates text from the 1901–1906 Jewish Encyclopedia article "Costume", a publication now in the public domain.
- ^ Ketubot 64b
- ^ a b Ketubot 46a-47b
- ^ a b Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Ishut 14:23-24
- ^ a b Jacob ben Asher, Eben ha-'Ezer, 89
- ^ a b Ketubot 51a
- ^ a b Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Ishut 14:18-22
- ^ a b Jacob ben Asher, Eben ha-'Ezer, 78
- ^ a b Joseph Karo, Shulkhan Arukh, Yoreh De'ah 252:10
- ^ Gittin, 45a
- ^ a b Sotah 1:2
- ^ Ketubot 51b
- ^ Yebamot 56b
- ^ Sanhedrin 41
- ^ Sotah 6:1
- ^ Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Ishut 24:6
- ^ Sotah 5:1
- ^ Sotah 4b
- ^ Judaism 101: Kosher Sex
- ^ a b This article incorporates text from the 1901–1906 Jewish Encyclopedia article "Majority", a publication now in the public domain.
- ^ Ketubot, 64b
- ^ Kiddushin 43b
- ^ Kiddushin 44a
- ^ Babylonian Talmud, Kiddushin 41a
- ^ Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Women, Laws of Ishut, 3:19
- ^ Maggid Mishneh ad. loc. refers this to the above Talmudic statement
- ^ ad. loc.
- ^ a b c d e f g This article incorporates text from the 1901–1906 Jewish Encyclopedia article "Mi'un", a publication now in the public domain.
- ^ Yebamot 107a
- ^ a b c d Yebamot 108a
- ^ Yebamot 109a
- ^ Yebamot 107a
- ^ Yebamot 107b
- ^ Gittin 65a
- ^ Kiddushin (tosafot) 41a
- ^ Sanhedrin 76b
- ^ Kiddushin 29b
- ^ Jewish Encyclopedia, Marriage Laws
- ^ Yebamot 63b
- ^ Yebamot 44a
- ^ Sanhedrin 76a
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