Rabbinical Court Orders Husband to Pay Full Ketubah After Abuse and Secret Second Marriage

A recent ruling by the Tel Aviv Regional Rabbinical Court revealed a rare and severe divorce case involving a religious couple married for nearly two decades with six children. The wife accused her husband of verbal and financial abuse, while the husband claimed she had psychological issues affecting their marital relations. In 2022, the wife discovered that the husband had secretly married a second woman without divorcing her, an act the court deemed a serious violation and "chillul Hashem" (desecration of God's name).

Rabbinical judge Rafael Ze'ev Galeb, writing a detailed judgment with two colleagues, found the husband solely responsible for the marriage breakdown. The court condemned his sexual demands as "unusual, frequent, and aggressive," stating he made his wife feel like a "sex slave" and described his behavior as abnormal and untreated despite psychiatric recommendations. The husband even operated a charity providing Viagra, highlighting his excessive sexual needs.

The court criticized the husband's detachment from reality and his claim that his conduct was religiously justified, noting professional opinions that labeled him a rapist. His extramarital affairs were described as "pimp-like" and adulterous, contributing to the marriage's collapse. The husband was ordered to pay the wife the full ketubah amount of $52,555 plus legal expenses.

Family lawyer Ohad Hoffman emphasized the ruling's clear message: within Jewish law, a wife's dignity, consent, and well-being cannot be overridden by the husband's demands. The court underscored the halachic principle that marital relations require balance, reconciliation, and mutual respect, not coercion or obsession. The husband's full financial liability reflects his responsibility for the divorce and protects the wife's status and honor.