Israel’s chief rabbi on Tuesday delayed the burial of the mother of a U.S. Jewish man, who for years refused to grant his wife a divorce, with the aim of freeing the wife from the marriage.
The mother’s burial was delayed by a few hours, until her son agreed to abide by any decision reached on the matter by the responsible court in the U.S., according to a member of the Council of the Israeli Chief rabbinate, Rabbi Weiss.
In Orthodox Jewish communities, women are required to get the husband’s consent to be able to divorce.
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Israeli Chief Rabbi David Lau said in a statement that after investigating the situation, he found that for over 10 years the man had “vehemently refused to allow his wife to continue her life, while he illegally married a second woman.”
The body of the man’s mother, who lived in the U.S., was brought to Israel overnight, in order to be buried there, according to a statement by the Chief Rabbinate.
“We hope this move will bring about a divorce soon and that the woman will be freed from her chains after so many years,” Lau said. (NAN)