Secretly Divorcing Her?

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According to Matthew 1:19, Joseph’s first thought, because he was a “pious” man, was to “quietly divorce” Mary. That can’t be true. If he were a “pious” man, he would have married her immediately. Divorcing her “quietly” would have been the worst thing he could have done, as he would have had to take her before the Beit Din (Rabbi’s court, literally “house of judgment”) to get a divorce, even though they were “only” betrothed. It is impossible to divorce “quietly.”

The Beit Din would have thoroughly cross-examined the situation. What would have been his reasons for wanting a divorce? Because his betrothed was pregnant with a baby that is not his? Mary would have been considered a harlot, and quite possibly she would have been stoned to death.

Divorcing her quietly is not the Jewish way. However, it is the “Catholic” way, as pregnant women were often hidden away. But this is impossible with the Jewish Community. How does one hide a pregnant girl? Judaism does not allow for these things. Therefore, it makes no sense from a Jewish perspective that Joseph’s “piety” would cause him to “divorce her secretly.”

Another issue is that if G-d would have made her pregnant without first telling His authorities about it, He would have laid upon Mary too great a burden, as she would have given the “impression of sin (pregnant out of wedlock).” Jewish Halacha says we cannot give the appearance of evil: "Abstain from all appearance of evil" (I Thessalonians 5:22).
In keeping with His own Law, G-d would have sent the angel to the correct authorities, as well as to Mary and Joseph, for “Surely the Lord G-d will do nothing, without revealing his secrets to his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7).

Source: http://countermissionary.org/articles/virginbirth.html