Polygamy – marrying two wives
Question
Dear Rabbi I've got two related questions for you. 1) What does modern Judaism say about polygamy? In which cases is it allowed? 2) Have rules on polygamy changed since Abraham's time and, if so, how?
Answer
Shalom,
According to the Torah, a man is permitted to marry multiple women, while a woman is allowed only one husband.
The potential number of wives a man may have is unlimited, except for a king, who is restricted to a maximum of eighteen wives.
Around a millennium ago, Rabbeinu Gershom instituted a prohibition against taking more than one wife, known as the cherem of Rabbeinu Gershom. While this ruling was widely accepted in the lands of Ashkenaz, it did not gain universal acceptance in all eastern communities.
Consequently, some eastern communities, including Yemenite Jews, continued the practice of having two wives.
In the State of Israel, however, the law permits only one wife for a man. As a result, even in communities where polygamy was once acceptable, this practice is no longer permitted after settling in Israel.