Mitzvah —
127
A man must not remarry his wife after she has married someone else
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לֹא־יוּכַ֣ל בַּעְלָ֣הּ הָרִאשׁ֣וֹן אֲשֶֽׁר־שִׁ֠לְּחָ֠הּ לָשׁ֨וּב לְקַחְתָּ֜הּ לִהְי֧וֹת ל֣וֹ לְאִשָּׁ֗ה אַחֲרֵי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֻטַּמָּ֔אָה כִּֽי־תוֹעֵבָ֥ה הִ֖וא לִפְנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה וְלֹ֤א תַחֲטִיא֙ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ נַחֲלָֽה׃ - פָּרָשַׁת כִּי־תֵצֵא
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Deuteronomy 24:4 - "her first husband, who had sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, since she was defiled [to him], for that is an abomination before the Lord, and you shall not bring sin to the land the Lord, your God, gives you for an inheritance."
This Mitzvah's Summary
מִצְוָה עֲשֵׂה - Positive Commandment
מִצְוָה לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה - Negative Commandment
Family – מִשְׁפָּחָה
A man may not remarry his former wife if she married another man after their divorce.
This mitzvah forbids a divorced man from remarrying his wife if she has been married to another man in the interim. The Torah considers such a union an abomination, undermining the sanctity and seriousness of marriage. This prohibition safeguards against frivolous divorce and remarriage, ensuring that marriage is approached with dignity and permanence, and protecting the moral integrity of the family and society.
Commentary & Classical Explanation:
- Rambam (Hilchot Gerushin 10:12): States clearly that remarriage in such a case is forbidden and invalid.
- Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 580): The root is to prevent treating marriage casually, as if it were reversible at whim.
- Talmud (Gittin 81a): Derives this prohibition directly from the verse and explains its severity in preserving marital sanctity.
Commentaries
(Source: Chabad.org)
