Sanctity of Jewish Home

The Book of Vayikra, chapters eighteen and twenty, list all of the forbidden marital relations, and their prohibitions. Chapter eighteen lists the warning against having relations with forbidden women, and chapter twenty lists their punishments.

The only case that is repeated in the Book of Devarim, that forbids the marriage to one’s step mother, his father’s former wife. It is not forbidden for a son to marry a woman that his father had raped or seduced.

This is chosen as the example of the sanctity of a Jewish marriage. Certain things are off limits to a Jewish family. This is a different form of promiscuity that must not be tolerated. It may not seem to be that serious of an offense to take a woman who is currently single. But this is considered crossing the line in a very serious manner, that undermines the sanctity of marriage.

We are concerned for any form of infidelity on any level. The proof of this is the subject that follows related to those who are not allowed to enter the “congregation of Hashem.” We do not want a situation of illegitimate children known as Mamzerim.

We must never minimize the sanctity of a Jewish home. A Jewish marriage is meant to be holy. It cannot be tainted in any way. The outcomes of a holy marriage, are holy children. An unholy marriage reduces the chances of producing G-d fearing and Jews that are faithful to all that we cherish.