Ask the Rabbi - Customs and Practices

Bnei Noah family question

Q: Shalom, could you tell if a Ben Noah may have more than one wife? Thanks, Ahava

Q: Shalom, could you tell if a Ben Noah may have more than one wife? Thanks, Ahava
A: There are many different customs among many nations concerning marriage. Some societies tolerate or even encourage polygamy and some forbid it. The Noahide law establishes only the minimum required to be a righteous man before God and not the maximum. So the question of having many wives or not is the prerogative of the court of every society. For example, we have a tradition that the court of Shem, the son of Noach, forbid prostitution, even though this is not included in the seven laws.

Rabbi Oury Cherki

Rav Oury Cherki was born in Algeria in 1959 and grew up in France, and he made Aliyah in 1972. He studied at Merkaz Harav Yeshiva, which was founded by Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook. He performed his military service in the artillery branch of the IDF. He studied with Rav Tzvi Yehuda Kook, Rav Yehuda Leon Ashkenazi (Manitou), Rav Shlomo Binyamin and Achlag. Rav Cherki heads the Israeli department of Machon Meir, and he is the Director of Brit Olam - the Noahide World Center. He teaches in many places throughout Israel. Rav Cherki is the spiritual leader of the "Beth Yehuda" community in Kiryat Moshe (Jerusalem). He has written many books on Jewish thought and philosophy.

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