Jews with Gentile Fathers
Question
There are lots of Jews in this world who have a Jewish mother and gentile father. In the eye of Halacha, is there anything different about them from those who have two Jewish parents? Are they treated any differently, or are there any special laws that they or others around must follow?
I am curious because in Leviticus 24:10-23 is the story of a man who fits this description, who was excluded and blasphemed G-d, and was put to death.
Answers
Someone who has a Jewish mother is one hundred percent Jewish. In Jewish Law, there is no such thing as being “half-Jewish” – a person is either one hundred percent Jewish or one hundred percent not Jewish, and this status is dependent only on the mother.
The person in Leviticus 24 was not put to death because his father was not Jewish. He was put to death because he blasphemed Hashem. Which is exactly what would have happened to anyone else, even if their father was also Jewish.
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