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Question
I cannot find why a man can marry his niece but a woman cannot marry her nephew. I know it’s midderabbanan but can find no logic for the difference.
Answer
The prohibition for a man to marry his aunt (and hence a woman to marry her nephew) is De'oraita (Vayikra 18;12-14 has all variations of aunt) while there is no verse in the Torah prohibitting a niece. In fact, Sarah was Avraham's niece.
follow-up question of: "Marriage - nephew"
Rabbi David Sperling | Iyyar 22, 5772
Marrying a younger man
Rabbi Ari Shvat | Tishrei 6, 5775
Celibacy- is marriage obligatory in Judaism?
Rabbi Ari Shvat | Tevet 17, 5775
