What is the origin of Matrilineal Descent?
The Torah does not always state every law explicitly. In the case of Matrilineal Descent, the practice is derived from Deuteronomy 7: 4, “Because he will lead astray your son from before Me” To understand this verse, look at the preceding verse, which states: “And you shall not intermarry with them, your daughter you shall not give to his son and his daughter you shall not take for your son”. Verse 4 should have stated “Because SHE will lead astray your son”, for the non-Jewish girl that your son married (‘your’ meaning Jewish) should be the one that would lead your son astray. So who is the ‘HE’? It might be the girl’s father, but in general, women leave their father’s house and live in their husband’s house; they would then not be living with her father. Hence, it would not make sense for the girl’s father to lead “your son” astray if your son doesn’t live with him. The Rabbis concluded that ‘HE’ is the man that your daughter married, and ‘your son’ mentioned in verse 4 is your grand
