ABSTRACT
In this chapter we introduce basic Jewish law (halakhic) regulations and doctrines regarding key legal institutions related to marriage. 2 One way of understanding legal institutions is to shed light on turning points in their development or in times of change. We focus mainly on changes that have taken place over time in Jewish law concerning marriage and divorce, primarily on those that are relevant to the status of the wife within this regime. This includes the following topics: 3 the formation of marriage, which affects the conditions under which the partners enter into the marriage contract; bigamy, which affects both the marriage contract and the course of the marriage; mutually agreed and coerced divorce, which affects the end of the marriage; and levirate marriage, which affects both the beginning and the end of the marriage.
