An interesting look at “christian” opposition to polygyny.
CHRISTIAN OPPOSITION TO POLYGAMY
Christian commentators with a perverted perspective following in the Roman Catholic tradition have tremendous difficulty with Yaakov having four wives. This very point shows to what extent the Roman church is not a continuation of Jewish 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, can 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 holds 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 Jewish 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 of blessed
memory) 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 (rabbinical ordination) until he was married. A person cannot be a teacher of small children unless he is married. We consider 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 was made. Similarly, the Christians censored the siddur (Jewish prayer book) and as a result, several passages which were interpreted as being against the Christian religion
were taken out of the davenning. It is just in the last few years that the siddurim are being restored and Jews again feel free to go back to the proper prayers. So too, the takonah against polygamy which was done to avoid massacres by the Christians, will probably totally disappear when we realize that we no longer have to worry about what the Christians want from us. 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 Hashem and do his commandments without worrying what the gentiles think, we will be much closer to the redemption.
Mipnei chata’einu galinu mei’artzenu, because of our sins we were exile from our land. We went into exile among Edom, the descendants of Esav. 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 defenses was to ban polygamy, something considered by G-d 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 divorce ourselves from this goyish attitude. Polygamy was part of the founding of our people, and was part of Hashem’s d-vine plan for us.
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