LT keeping vows and promises is an entirely different subject. This is a teaching where Jesus says a husband who divorces his wife except for grounds of fornication causes her to be an adultress and goes further on to say that the man who might marry her later is adulterer too! But according to the Torah a divorced women is not considered an adultress and neither is the man who marries her. Im not saying divorce is good or should be taken lightly. But why Jesus would teach something which conflicts with Torah baffles me therefore its something I cannot agree with. But you will only find this witten in the Greek versions. In the Hebrew manuscripts of Matthew Jesus does not teach it.
Ever ask a christian couple husband and or wife if they have been married before, watch their reaction carefully, they have been caught! Ever wonder why the church gets its panties in a wad when a divorced women wants to marry again? Its because of this teaching LT, the church would perceived as condoning an adulteress relationship. According to Torah when a woman is divorced she is 'free agent' and is able remarry without whispering and gossip about being a hussy. Not saying it happens all the time but it does happen. As I said used to be a christian so I speak fro experience
There's a weakness in the translation. The word "cause" does not mean "transform" as in "transforms her into an adultress" but will be the root cause of her committing an act of adultery...this is why the remaining part ("...and whoever shall marry her...") is there. I will admit, this major misunderstanding (from this weak translation and lack of Torah knowledge) has cause many Christians (including my parents) to have a very hard life.
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Firstly, it must be said that Christ said he DID NOT COME to destroy the Torah or prophets, but to "full it to the full". (Deut 4:2 & 12:32).
Matthew 5:31
It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement (a “get”).
The Prushim (Pharisees) taught that if one was to avoid adultery all one must do is divorce their wife before taking up with another woman, and made rulings on what they deemed "valid" divorces, including: If one finds another woman more beautiful than his current wife, divorce is allowed...and if a man’s wife burns his dinner, he may divorce her (Talmud; Gittin 90a).
However Christ clarified the real issue (i.e. the spirit of the law) with divorce when he says "one has ALREADY committed adultery in his heart" if motives like the above are the reasons for the divorce; one can not divorce for illegitimate reasons. Christ repeats this truth in Mark 10:11-12, where the example is of either party initiating a divorce **(specifically) in order to marry another** is in fact committing adultery, while the new person that party marries is an accomplice in this crime.
A “Get” MUST be presented to the wife regardless of which person initiates the divorce, as *either person* is still allowed to initiate the divorce. The “get” states “you are permitted unto all men”, making the woman single.
However when Christ says in Matt 5:32 “whoever puts away his wife, except for the case of adultery causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries her that is divorced commits adultery”, he's specifically talking about Leviticus 18:1-30 & 20:10-23: ALL abominable sexual perversions that defile the marriage bed. If the wife has *not* committed any of these acts (i.e. these “evrah” acts) she has not defiled his bed and can not be divorced, so divorcing her will FORCE her (and the new unsuspecting man she may find) in a position of both of them committing adultery...because in God’s eyes she’s still married to the first man, as two have become one flesh. To God, marriage is more than a document recognized by men, it’s a physical & spirit union of two people.
And who has the greater sin, on who stumbles or one who causes another to stumble? It would be better for a cinderblock to be tied around that person's neck and him throne in the sea than to *cause* one of God’s Children to sin.
God honors the heart of the matter (the spirit), not written words (the letter) that men can lawyer and twist to find loopholes (to suit their illegitimate benefit), when it comes to his law.
However, if the wife DOES commit an abominable act (“evrah”; as in all forms of sexual perversion), like adultery - which makes herself unclean - she can be divorced and she’s free. As God also wrote a bill of divorce for Israel & Judah for the same reason.
Jeremiah 3:8
And I saw, when, for this very cause that backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a bill of divorcement, yet treacherous Judah her sister feared not; but she also went and played the harlot.
Notice Deuteronomy 24:1 once again:
When a man has taken a wife, and married her, and it comes to pass that she finds no favor in his eyes, ***because he has found some uncleanness in her***; then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.
The operative phrase is “because...uncleanness in her”; she somehow defiled the marriage bed. Two people married are one flesh, so if she defiles herself with sexual perversion and then sleeps with him she defiles him. So in legitimate divorce both she and he are free from the bond, and free to marry another.
To your concern about abuse and serious marriage troubles…
The Torah also sanctions a mutual divorce, which Christ fully recognizes in Mark 10:2-9 as “for hardness of heart” (adding that it’s because of the hardness of people that this was included, but teaching what marriage is really all about: two becoming one). When a man and woman divorce for hardness of heart (which I would suspect includes abuse, etc) they are both single and are no longer married and free from consequences if they happen to marry again, even to each other. The only stipulation is if the divorced woman remarries another...and then divorces that one, or he dies, she can’t remarry her first husband (Deut 24:1-4)...because marriage isn't musical chairs but about two lives becoming one.
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The Prushim were commanded NOT to add to or take away from the commands given, and yet with each “Takanot” and “Ma’asim” codified in their Talmud they have done that over and over and over and over again.