Ki Tetse

Back

Forward


21:12
21:13

21:13

She must take off her captive's garb and remain in your house a full month, mourning for her father and mother. Only then may you be intimate with her and possess her, making her your wife.
Vehesirah et-simlat shivyah me'aleyha veyashvah beveytecha uvachtah et-aviha ve'et-imah yerach yamim ve'achar ken tavo eleyha uve'altah vehayetah lecha le'ishah.

Commentary:

take off her captive's garb
To remove from her any taint of idolatry (Midrash Aggadah). Also to make her less attractive (Rashi; Rashbam; Ibn Ezra).

a full month
Actually, the man could not marry her for 90 days (Yevamoth 48b; Yad, Melakhim 8:5). He thus would have to wait an additional two months after her mourning period was over.

her father and mother
As well as their idolatrous religion, which she must abandon (Yevamoth 48b; Yad, Melakhim 8:5; Ramban). This is an act of mercy (Moreh Nevukhim 3:41). This delay also gives the girl a chance to accustom herself to Judaism and refrain from mentioning idolatrous deities (Midrash Aggadah). Thirty days is a normal mourning period; see Numbers 20:29.

Only then...
After converting her to Judaism. She is given 12 months to make up her mind to convert, after which she is sent away (Yad, Melakhim 8:7). However, others maintain that she may be converted against her will (Ramban).

making her your wife
Some say through a regular marriage ceremony (Yad, Melakhim 8:6), while others maintain that she becomes his wife through intercourse alone (Ramban). In either case, she has the full rights of a wife, as in Exodus 21:10 (Sifri).

Notice: This computer program is protected by copyright law and international treaties. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this program, or any portion of it, may result in severe civil and criminal penalties, and will be prosecuted to the maximum extent possible under the law.