For donations Click Here

Oath for Masonsic Degree

This is regarding taking an oath. The grand Masonic lodge of Oregon requires that all candidates for Masonic degrees, take the oath on their knees before an open christian bible. It is permissible for a Jewish candidate to request that an open T’nach be placed next to the open christian bible. Can a Jewish man take such an oath. Each masonic jurisdiction has different requirements for the degree ceremony. There are many Jewish Masons, however, Oregon grand lodge claims that this kneeling before the christian bible is not against any religion. Does a Jew deny his religious duty by taking such an oath. If you could please cite specific halachic references regarding this matter.

Answer:

In general, halachic authorities over the generations were very much against the taking of oaths, and in principle no oath should be taken.

If the Christian Bible is present, including the NT, this becomes far more serious, because the NT is associated by Christianity with idolatry (at least in some forms of Christianity), and making an oath by idolatry is a Torah prohibition.

Therefore, the oath should be avoided in any case, and certainly should not be taken with the Christian Bible.

Without any connection to the oath, there is room to doubt whether Freemasonry is appropriate for a Jewish person. I don’t know enough about their practices and beliefs to comment on this.

Sources:

See in particular Chasam Sofer (Choshen Mishpat 90) where the Chasam Sofer discusses why it is considered sinful to make an oath even where the oath is true. See also letters of the Chazon Ish, Vol. 1, no. 193.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *