Are Women Required to Marry?

Platinum Member Joined: Nov 01 2009 Posts: 8303

On YWN someone mentioned that the Rema said women are required to get married. He didn't post a source.

Anyone know of a source? This is definitely not something I've ever learned. Women are exempt from having children, so I'm not sure how the Rema deals with that then.
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Posted: Thu, May 27 2010, 11:59 am Post subject:

I also learned women have no obligation to get married.

But what was the context? Someone saying she'd make more of a contribution to the world by becoming president of her shul or discovering a cure for something? then it might be that someone was explaining that it is a woman's ideal to be married. Otherwise, I have no idea where they are coming from.
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Posted: Thu, May 27 2010, 12:05 pm Post subject:

I also learned not required.
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Platinum Member Joined: Nov 01 2009 Posts: 8303

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com.....oel/page/5

Basically that women are real people an d don't have to marry. He responded that the Rema paskens differently.

I've heard it's the ideal for a woman to get married and have children, but you don't have to, so G-d created the yetzer hara so women would want to get married and have kids.
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Platinum Member Joined: May 15 2008 Posts: 5244

In 12 th grade I learned in Chumash that men have a mitzva to get married and have kids.
Women are not required to do so but IF they DO get married than they have a mitzva of having children.

Posted: Sat, May 29 2010, 5:59 pm Post subject: re: Are Women Required to Marry?

From what I understand, women are commanded to love Hashem and serve Him. Since the very first command in the torah is to be fruitful and multiply, it would seem that if a woman loves Hashem she would want to have children since this is what He desires. (and men can't have children without women)
Why then are women not included in the command to have children. The answer I found most satisfying, is that when one is commanded to do something, one is required to make sure to do it, and this would conflict with a woman's tzniut, since she is not the one who is supposed to take the initiative, not in courtship nor in procreation. But when the opportunity presents itself and the woman has children, the mitzvah is to her credit.

Platinum Member Joined: Jun 30 2009 Posts: 8274