Divorce: A “Jewish” and “Christian” Perspective

Yeshua sided with Rabbi Shammai on very few occasions. almost without exception, in terms of interpreting Torah, Yeshua sided with Rabbi Hillel. however, in one instance, Yeshua sided with Shammai. that is in regard to divorce. both Shammai and Yeshua taught that it was unlawful to divorce. it is interesting on many levels. why would Yeshua pick this one thing? why would Yeshua disagree with Moses? etc.

now, to most Christians, it isnt too problematic that Yeshua contradicted Moses, but to a Jew this is a big deal. Yeshua was, in effect, contradicting the Torah. he was saying that this mitzvah was wrong. so one can understand why Jews would have a hard time reconciling Yeshua with being Messiah. but wait a minute, Yeshua isnt alone in this. the revered Rabbi Shammai also gave such an interpretation!!! so how can a Jew reconcile Shammai’s teaching with Torah?

isnt it possible that as Yeshua says, “It was not so from the beginning, but Moses allowed it because of the hardness of your hearts,” he is rejecting this as something that was only second best? and why wouldnt God get rid of His own teaching that was only second best. so in the spirit of God’s Torah, God Himself repealed one of His own teachings. wow, thats not what Jews want to hear. maybe that’s why the rabbis ultimately sided with Hillel. but either way, it brings up major problems for a person who believes the Torah can never change.

on a second note, the wordx for divorce in Hebrew is pretty interesting. because the first is garash and the second is kĕriythuwth. garash means “to drive out or away”. and kĕriythuwth means “divorcement” or the state of divorce. in effect, the latter of the two means more of a divorce on paper. and sure enough this is the word that Moses uses in the Torah for allowing divorce. however, the second of the two holds a much stronger and stricter meaning of divorce.

in context of the Tanakh, garash is primarily used by God when He commands the Israelites to “drive out” the people from the Land of Canaan. so applying this to divorce, it appears that God’s interpretation of what it means to “divorce” one’s wife is much higher than ours. you see, we think in terms of legally binding documents, more like kĕriythuwth. but God thinks in terms of the principle of separation. so when He condemns divorce, it is as being estranged from one’s spouse. how many spouses are “divorced” under this concept?! its amazing that Yeshua seems to do something that God intended from the beginning. God never intended a man and woman to split up. they were to be one flesh. why would we desire to settle for less than what God intended?