Does Jewish Law allow for Cohen to marry convert?
Jewish Weddings, Marriage in Judaism
An orthodox rabbi answers questions about Jewish weddings and marriage in Judaism, as well as questions about divorce and gets.
An orthodox rabbi answers questions about Jewish weddings and marriage in Judaism, as well as questions about divorce and gets.
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According to Jewish Law, can a Cohen marry a convert?
Thank you.
Can a Cohen get married to a convert, a divorcee, or a "zonah." (see Leviticus 21:14, Maimonides' Laws of Forbidden Relations 18:3, and Talmud Kiddushin 78a)
The Conservative movement recognizes a marriage between a convert and a Cohen. (as you were not Jewish when you divorced, this does not intervene).
Thank you.
Can a Cohen get married to a convert, a divorcee, or a "zonah." (see Leviticus 21:14, Maimonides' Laws of Forbidden Relations 18:3, and Talmud Kiddushin 78a)
The Conservative movement recognizes a marriage between a convert and a Cohen. (as you were not Jewish when you divorced, this does not intervene).
If you come to Israel as a convert and with a civil marriage license, the Interior Ministry will register you as Jewish and married. There will not be a problem having a Conservative wedding in Israel. In any case, you could not have an Orthodox wedding since the Orthodox do not marry Cohen and convert.
2) If you complete the conversion before the birth of your child, he/she will be automatically Jewish, because Jewish Law views an unborn baby as a part of the woman's body. If, however you complete the conversion after he/she is born the baby will have to convert which is not at all problematic for a baby. A boy would undergo the regular circumcision but it is called a circumcision for the sake of conversion, and when you finish your conversion process, you would be required to take the baby -- boy or girl -- with you to the ritual bath. This being said, you should be aware that the Orthodox Rabbis doing your conversion may ask questions if you are visibly pregnant, and may hesitate to convert you if they learn that the future father is a Cohen. A solution would be to do a Conservative conversion, which would allow you also to register as a Jew in Israel. In either case you will not be able to marry at the Rabbinate.
A "zonah" is defined as a woman who had relations with a man whom she was forbidden to have married according to Jewish law -- e.g. a close relative, a non-Jew, or with another man if she is already married.
A Cohen is forbidden to marry these women, not because she is a bad person, but because there is metaphysical reality that is created which prevents a Cohen from being able to create the proper bond. Imagine that H2O is water, and H2O2 is Hydrogen Peroxide. On one hand, the difference seems negligible. On the other hand, the difference is between life and death.
On a practical level, the Kohanim, who are charged with being the spiritual leaders and role models for all of Jewry, must therefore preserve a more scrutinizing level of holiness.
The fact that a particular Cohen today may not see himself in such a lofty role does not diminish his obligation to live up to that.
There is another issue, however. It is important to check if the "Cohen" is a real "Cohen." How reliable is the Kohanic tradition in the family?
Also, it may be that the Cohen is really a "chalal" -- i.e. his mother, paternal grandmother, etc., may have been someone forbidden to marry a Cohen, in which case the resulting son would be a chalal, not a Cohen -- thereby disqualifying the "Cohen" (and his subsequent descendents) from the regular Kohanic rights and obligations.
Bottom Line: You need to go speak with a reliable authority in Jewish law, someone who is personally observant of the Torah's commandments.
With blessings from Jerusalem,
Rabbi Shraga Simmons
Aish.com
2) If you complete the conversion before the birth of your child, he/she will be automatically Jewish, because Jewish Law views an unborn baby as a part of the woman's body. If, however you complete the conversion after he/she is born the baby will have to convert which is not at all problematic for a baby. A boy would undergo the regular circumcision but it is called a circumcision for the sake of conversion, and when you finish your conversion process, you would be required to take the baby -- boy or girl -- with you to the ritual bath. This being said, you should be aware that the Orthodox Rabbis doing your conversion may ask questions if you are visibly pregnant, and may hesitate to convert you if they learn that the future father is a Cohen. A solution would be to do a Conservative conversion, which would allow you also to register as a Jew in Israel. In either case you will not be able to marry at the Rabbinate.
A "zonah" is defined as a woman who had relations with a man whom she was forbidden to have married according to Jewish law -- e.g. a close relative, a non-Jew, or with another man if she is already married.
A Cohen is forbidden to marry these women, not because she is a bad person, but because there is metaphysical reality that is created which prevents a Cohen from being able to create the proper bond. Imagine that H2O is water, and H2O2 is Hydrogen Peroxide. On one hand, the difference seems negligible. On the other hand, the difference is between life and death.
On a practical level, the Kohanim, who are charged with being the spiritual leaders and role models for all of Jewry, must therefore preserve a more scrutinizing level of holiness.
The fact that a particular Cohen today may not see himself in such a lofty role does not diminish his obligation to live up to that.
There is another issue, however. It is important to check if the "Cohen" is a real "Cohen." How reliable is the Kohanic tradition in the family?
Also, it may be that the Cohen is really a "chalal" -- i.e. his mother, paternal grandmother, etc., may have been someone forbidden to marry a Cohen, in which case the resulting son would be a chalal, not a Cohen -- thereby disqualifying the "Cohen" (and his subsequent descendents) from the regular Kohanic rights and obligations.
Bottom Line: You need to go speak with a reliable authority in Jewish law, someone who is personally observant of the Torah's commandments.
With blessings from Jerusalem,
Rabbi Shraga Simmons
Aish.com
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Did you know? The Hebrew word for man is EISH, which is spelled Aleph - Yud - Shin.
The Hebrew word for woman is EISHA, which is spelled Aleph - Shin - Hay.
The letters Yud and Hay combine to form the Hebrew name for God.
Removing the letters Yud and Hay (God) from the words EISH and EISHA, leaves the letters Aleph and Shin. Aleph and Shin spell ESH, which is the word for fire.
The Hebrew word for woman is EISHA, which is spelled Aleph - Shin - Hay.
The letters Yud and Hay combine to form the Hebrew name for God.
Removing the letters Yud and Hay (God) from the words EISH and EISHA, leaves the letters Aleph and Shin. Aleph and Shin spell ESH, which is the word for fire.