י Matrilineal Descent in Judaism. I just love how theological disputes make it onto weblogs of smart people. It is wonderfully Jacobean, and fits my interests. Professor Bainbridge had some Roman Catholic post recently, I have frequent Calvinist posts, and David Bernstein brings up Jewish points. He had a good post on one of those today. To be counted as a Jew, is it your mother that matters, your father, or is neither important?

Orthodox Jewish readers have written in to defend the proposition that since Sinai, descent in Judaism has always been matrilineal. For the Orthodox take on the issue, as well as a good example of how traditional rabbinic scholars analyze an issue (essentially reasoning backwards to find plausible language in the Torah supporting the idea that a custom or law has always existed in Judaism, but ignoring contrary historical evidence), see here.

Professor Bernstein is right that "Ask the Rabbi" is a good example of Orthodox reasoning (they probably ignore supportive historical evidence too, though--- wouldn't they say that history doesn't matter?).

It seems to me, though, that the biggest problem in saying that matrilineal descent dates back to oral tradition given at Sinai is that one must then conclude that Ruth's being a Moabitess meant that her children were not Jewish, even though the Bible makes a big point of tracing the descent of David-- and thus all the succeeding kings of Judah---to Ruth. David and all the other kings of Judah were not Jewish, but Moabitish. I'm surprised "Ask the Rabbi" doesn't address this obvious problem. Look at at the Book of Ruth 4:9-10, 13, 17.

And Boaz said unto the elders, and [unto] all the people, Ye [are] witnesses this day, that I have bought all that [was] Elimelech's, and all that [was] Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi. Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye [are] witnesses this day.
...
So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son.
...
And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he [is] the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Of course, if one does reject accept patrilineal descent, one confronts a serious problem: one must accept Barry Goldwater as the only Jew nominated for the U.S. Presidency by a major party. Recall, though, that Benjamin Disraeli was not a Liberal, but a Conservative.

[ http://php.indiana.edu/~erasmuse/w/04.01.23b.htm . Erasmusen@ yahoo.com. ]

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