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Responsa on how to deal with children of mixed marriages by R. Shalom ben Aaron Kutna (1826-1909) of Eisenstadt. Intermarriage in the present context is defined as a marriage where one partner professes a religion different from that of his spouse. Marriages in which a partner has converted to the faith of the other are not considered intermarriages. A mixed marriage is a marriage of a non-Jew to a Jew, i.e., one born of Jewish parents, or whose mother alone was Jewish, or who has become a proselyte in accordance with Jewish law. Conversion from the Jewish religion, both in the case of a Jew by birth and of a proselyte who reverts to his "evil" ways, has no halakhic significance in respect of the law on mixed marriages. For "an Israelite, even if he has sinned, is still an Israelite" (Sanh. 44a; Rashi thereto).
From the biblical passage (Deut. 7:3) "neither shalt thou make marriages with them: thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son," the sages inferred that marriage with a non-Jew is forbidden as a negative precept by the Torah (Av. Zar. 36b; Yad, Issurei Bi'ah 12:1–2; Sh. Ar., EH 16:1). As the passage cited refers to the "seven nations" ("The Hittite, and the Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite," Deut. 7:1), according to one opinion, the prohibition applies only to intermarriage with those seven nations. Others maintain, however, that the prohibition applies to all gentiles because after the prohibition "neither shalt thou make marriages" the biblical passage continues: "For he will turn away thy son from following after Me" (Deut. 7:4), which serves "to include all who would turn [their children] away" (Av. Zar. 36b; Yev. 77a; and codes). The prohibition against marrying a gentile is also explicitly stated in the period of the return to Zion: "And that we would not give our daughters unto the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons" (Neh. 10:31; see Maim. ibid.). It was also inferred from the passage in Deuteronomy that in a mixed marriage there is "no institution of marriage," i.e., mixed marriages are not legally valid and cause no change in personal status (Kid. 68b; Yev. 45a; and codes). Hence if the Jewish partner of such a marriage subsequently wishes to marry a Jew there is no need, according to the halakhah, for divorce from the previous "marriage." However, where one or even both of the parties to a marriage are apostate Jews who have married in a halakhically binding manner, neither can marry a Jew as long as the first marriage is not terminated by death or divorce, since a purported change of religion does not affect personal status (Yev. 47b; Bek. 30b; Sh. Ar., EH 44:9). Similarly if both parties (or only one of them) apostasize after a halakhically valid marriage and are then divorced by way of a civil divorce, neither party can marry a Jew until the previous marriage is terminated as above (Yad, Ishut 4:15; Rema, EH 154:23). |
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... ממני הצעיר שלום בלאאמ"ו... מו"ה אהרן קוטנא זצ"ל חפק"ק אייזענשטאדט...
מדבר מדיני הנולדים בתערובת משפחות... מישראל שהוליד מאשה אינה יהודית... ישראלית שהולידה מאיש אינו ישראל, ונקשרו... עפ"י משפטי הממלכה, מה דינם... ואיך יוכנסו בברית אמונת ישראל. ועוד שנית מה דין לאלו מבני ישראל הנקשרים... בהעדר קידושין.
[חלק א]: מדבר מדיני הנולדים בתערובת משפחות... מישראל שהוליד מאשה אינה יהודית... ישראלית שהולידה מאיש אינו ישראל, ונקשרו... עפ"י משפטי הממלכה, מה דינם... ואיך יוכנסו בברית אמונת ישראל. ועוד שנית מה דין לאלו מבני ישראל הנקשרים...
בהעדר קידושין. 1897. IV עמ', כ דף.
חלק ב: לבאר ענין קבלת גירות בזמננו... וקבלת גרים קטנים... מפי סופרים פוסקים ותשובות. תרנ"ט. [2], מט דף.
חלק ב: כולל גם "הוספה לחלק ראשון".
חלק ב:בשני החלקים נעתקו תשובות ראשונים ואחרונים ומכתבי רבנים המסכימים לדעת המחבר, וכמה מהם בגרמנית. |
