Judaism: Importance & Purpose of Marriage (Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B): Revision Note

The importance and purpose of marriage for Jews

• Marriage is important within Judaism

• Marriage is seen as a spiritual, emotional, and intellectual union between two people and as the fulfilment of God's commandment

• Judaism sees marriage as a sacred thing, recommended by God from the very start of human creation, according to the Torah

  • When God created the first human, he said ‘It is not good for the man to be alone’ (Genesis 2:18) and therefore created Eve, the first woman, as a companion for Adam

  • ‘Hence a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, so that they become one flesh’ (Genesis 2: 24)

• Through marriage, Jews demonstrate holiness in everyday life 

  • The word for part of the wedding ceremony, kiddushin, means sanctification or making holy

• The book of Proverbs in the Ketuvim (Writings) says that through marriage, a person may receive God’s blessing

• On the other hand, both the Torah and the Talmud view a man without a wife, or a woman without a husband, as incomplete

• This is demonstrated in several passages:

  • Although it does not state this specifically, Leviticus 21:13-14 is often interpreted as teaching that a man who does not marry is not a complete person

  • The Babylonian Talmud ( (Yevamot: 62b) states that any man who has no wife lives without joy, without blessing, and without goodness

• Many Jews also regard marriage as the rightful place for sexual relationships

  • This is where the couple fulfil God’s command to 'be fruitful and multiply' (Genesis 1:22)

• Maimonides stated that whereas the mating of animals is a purely physical and temporary act, through the sanctification of marriage, husband and wife become the closest of relatives

• Within a marriage, the couple must treat each other with love and respect

  • The Talmud teaches that ‘A man should love his wife as much as he loves himself, and honour her more than he honours himself’ (Yevamot 62b)

  • The Ketuvim also teaches the value a wife brings to her husband

• Adultery is seen as sinful because it goes against the Ten Commandments, the seventh of which says, ‘You shall not commit adultery’ (Exodus 20:14)

• Polygamy is technically permitted according to the Torah, because Abraham had two wives, for example.

  • However, polygamy was declared illegal within Judaism in the 11th century and is illegal in UK law

Non-religious attitudes to the importance of marriage & Jewish responses

What are non-religious views on marriage?

• While Jews believe that marriage is the fulfilment of God's commandment and a sacred thing, non-religious people see it differently

• Marriage is still popular, but the number of marriages occurring is falling each year

• Changing attitudes towards marriage means that many people choose cohabitation instead

  • This is when a couple live together without getting married

• For non-religious people, including Atheists and Humanists, marriage is still valued because it:

  • is a way of publicly declaring love for one another

  • confirms the commitment they have already made to each other

  • can provide comfort and stability for a family

• However, others do not see the purpose of marriage because:

  • it is not necessarily permanent and can lead to divorce

  • it is not necessary and cohabitation is enough, as long as the couple have committed themselves fully to each other

  • it requires a wedding ceremony, which may be expensive and which many people cannot afford

Jewish responses to divergent & non-religious views

• For Jews, marriage is important and holy

  • It fulfils God’s wishes for humans

• There are divergent approaches to cohabitation within Judaism

  • Orthodox Jews would take a more traditional approach and would tend not to cohabit because they would see sex outside of marriage as wrong. The correct place for sex is within marriage

  • Reform and Liberal Jews would tend to see cohabitation more favourably, but would still consider it as important that it is within a committed and faithful relationship

• Traditionally, marriage has been seen as a way of preserving the Jewish faith and passing it on to the next generation

  • For this reason, some Jews have been anxious about marrying non-Jews, known as ‘marrying out’

  • They are concerned that an ‘intermarriage’ between a Jew and a non-Jew would mean that the faith would be less likely to be passed on

    • These attitudes are less prevalent in modern Judaism and intermarriage is more common