Messianic Judaism Quest

The question of intermarriage in Jewish communities is inevitably tied to the question of Jewish identity. The issue is particularly significant for those involved in some form in the greater umbrella of “Messianic Judaism” because of generally smaller communities in which non-Jewish members typically outnumber Jewish ones by significant numbers.

That issue underlies the general ways tied to how Messianic Jewish communities relate to Jewish life and practice and the relationship with traditional Jewish sources.

The reason that intermarriage is tied to Jewish identity is because Jewish identity has typically been tied to the subject of Halakhah. The halakhic definition of a Jew is that of a person who is born of a Jewish mother or is halakhically converted to Judaism.

For the world of rabbinic jurisprudence the halakhic definition is of course quite sufficient. The argument from traditional Judaism is simply that both rabbinical and biblical law define Jewishness on the basis of matrilineal descent.

The Biblical basis for the Halakhic definition is found in the engagement between Ezra and various intermarried families serves to illustrate that matrilineal views were held after the return of the exiles to Judea from

Babylon. Ezra 10:11 and Nehemiah 10:31, 13:23 relate the decision given by Ezra concerning intermarriages. “You have trespassed by bringing home foreign women, thus aggravating the guilt of

Israel. So now make confession to the L-rd…and separate yourselves from the people of the land and from foreign women.”

There appears to be little evidence, however, to suggest that such views were held or enforced during the existence of the first

Temple. Moreover, the extent of agreement on this matter across “party lines” during the

Second Temple era is unclear.

Even if the idea of matrilineal descent is accepted as having existed during the Biblical era, the basis for acceptance in the community of

Israel is not fully discussed and the Mishnah reveals that while a majority view on the matter of who is a Jew was adopted on the basis of matrilineal descent, dissenting views continued to exist though they held no authoritative legal status.

The issue of intermarriage in antiquity was tied to the matter of idolatry. The unique relationship of a mother to her children almost always directed the children’s religious affiliation. This is not to say that the rabbis saw the union of a Jewish woman and a non-Jewish man as acceptable. They did not. But the example of the Midianite and Moabite women in Numbers, Samson’s troubled relationships, Solomon’s various foreign wives, and even evil king Ahab’s famous wife Jezebel are cited to show the devastating effect a non-Jewish woman can have. In three of the four cases enumerated, an abandonment of Torah in the form of idolatry occurred.

Without delving further into the subject of classical Jewish perspectives on intermarriage, present day circumstances for many in the Messianic Jewish circles is of importance. With few exceptions, most leaders in the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations or in the International Association of Messianic Synagogues and Congregations are intermarried, with the overwhelming majority being a Jewish husband and a non-Jewish wife.

That fact was arguably responsible for the adoption of a statement on Jewish identity adopted by the Union which included patrilineal descendant as a basis for Jewish identity. The statement was arguably based upon biblical sources but highlights the present day realities of most Jews in Messianic Jewish circles.

One might point to the Reform, Reconstructionist, and Jewish Renewal movements which have adopted either Patrilineal or Matrilineal basis for Jewish identity (albeit with some caveats) since the early 1980s. Those decisions were largely it appears motivated by substantial and increasing numbers of intermarriages. The number of conversions involving the non-Jewish spouse was likely low though I do not have the statistics for this.

The ultimate consequence of these decisions of course is that in essence two “classes”of “Jews” are created. While Orthodox Jews never saw Reform Judaism in a “positive” light, before the 198os, they were largely assured the fact that Reform Jews were in fact halakhically Jewish and thus a Reform Jew becoming a Ba’al Teshuvah was not an issue. The only exception might have been the case of a convert to Reform Judaism, but this was a relatively small occurrence. Because of the patrilineal issue, the Orthodox are slightly more prone to be inquisitive about someone becoming observant.

So what are those involved in Messianic Jewish circles to do? There are few things as central to life as marriage and the emotional issues that accompany it. Attempting to tell a young man or a young woman, or for that matter someone not so young not to marry a non-Jew is something that seems almost impossible. To the individual in such a position, the emotional ties to their intended notwithstanding, the individual will likely wrestle with the reality that the Messianic world is quite small. Who can tell another individual not to marry and find happiness because their marriage will prove detrimental to both the Jewish people and themselves. Can a Jew be told, “what the Germans cannot do through genocide, you do through intermarriage?” Well in fact such comments have been made, but nevertheless causing a person remain unmarried for the hope of a Jewish marriage is a difficult thing.

Finding someone to even nominally support a Messianic Jewish life is difficult enough in and of itself. Finding someone to live a somewhat more observant Jewish is even harder. Herein lies another problem. The growing Torah movement among non-Jews reflected to a large extent among groups inspired by First Fruits of Zion presents an interesting scenario.

While not uniform, individuals drawn to FFOZ perspectives often share a stronger commitment to traditional Jewish life than their Jewish counterparts in “mainstream” Messianic Jewish congregations. The fact that most of FFOZ’s adherents are likely non-Jews is a paradox. A Messianic Jew, that is traditionally inclined may find greater success in finding a wife that is more traditionally oriented by marrying a non-Jew, thus violating a basic tenet of traditional Jewish thought (though of course, Jewish thought does not envision a Torah movement like FFOZ) while securing a stronger “Jewish” identity for their children.

The most important issue to consider is that the children of intermarriage will not be Jews halakhically. They do have however the strong chance of acceptance among the progressive movements, which today in American retain a majority among the”Jewish” movements, for the present. The statistics on intermarriage do not however favor finding a spouse inclined to creating a Jewish environment for his or her family. it is not impossible, but difficult. In non-Messianic circles, the justification for such a view is fairly straightforward: a non-Jew unwillingly to convert even for the sake of marriage demonstrates they have little interest endorsing a Jewish life.

In the case of Messianic Jewish communities, the issue may partly lie in the lack of viable conversion modes though with the present state of ambivalence towards Jewish practice, identity, and thought, the real reason likely lies in the same problems faced by “non-messianic intermarriages.”

The individual facing such a marriage thus faces very serious challenges. A Messianic Jewish community should prove embracing of all Jews and non-Jews within the context of an authentic Jewish expression. While one can argue that the rabbis should not hold definitive authority on all matters of practice, they do retain the prerogative for Jewish identity, and all progressive movements draw from the well of traditional Jewish thought.

Yeshua’s ministry was geared to the outcasts of Israel, Jews on the fringes of society. Decisions however do have consequences, and the impact on a marriage lacking unification on the basic point of religion, the religious upbringing of children, and the children’s ability to be accepted in a Jewish movement, marry other Jews, as well as make aliyah (without resorting to the more general law of return) must be carefully weighed.

 

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