Question:
Hello, rabbi
I have been married for five years, my wife and I have two children Baruch Hashem. About two weeks ago, I found out that my wife’s grandmother, [my father-in-law’s mother] was not Jewish. I’m a Cohen, my question is what does it mean about my marriage and my wife’s and our kids, should we get a divorce, it’s hard for me to think about that.
Answer:
Peace and blessing
I definitely understand you, and the difficulty of thinking about divorce all of a sudden.
First of all, you don’t have to divorce your wife, and your children are totally kosher,
But it’s important that you should know: First of all, if your father-in-law is not Jewish, according to Halacha, your father-in-law is also not Jewish, if your father-in-law wishes to be Jewish, he must legally convert to an Orthodox conversion tribunal.
Second, your wife is Jewish for all intents and purposes, since her mother is Jewish, and the nationality is determined by the mother.
Third, although your wife is Jewish, regarding a woman whose father is not Jewish, the sages were divided over whether it is permissible a cohen can marry her, in the ‘shulchan aruch’ wrote that a cohen should not be married to a woman whose father is not Jewish, but if a one got married he does not have to divorce her.
Therefore, in fact, you are not required to divorce, and even your children are kosher cohanim.
be blessed and see lot of nachot from your children.
