A Wedding

Rabbi Yehuda taught that 40 days before a child is conceived, a voice from heaven announces who this child is going to marry; this is literally a match made in heaven! In Yiddish, this match is called "bashert," the word meaning fate.

The Talmud and Jewish tradition through the ages states that a marriage is satisfied through three criteria: money, contract, and intimate relations.

The “money” is represented by the ring, which must have an ascertainable value.  Made of a specific element like gold or platinum, the ring cannot be adorned with any gems.  It must be round (symbolizing the fullness of life) and uninterrupted (symbolizing the fact that love and fidelity must be ever present).  The ring must also be owned; it cannot be borrowed.

As part of the wedding ceremony, there must also be a ketubah. The word "Ketubah" comes from the root meaning "writing." The ketubah is the official marriage contract. The document spells out the husband's obligations to the wife, inheritance upon death, and general obligations regarding the support in the event of divorce.

The third element is the intimacy or consummation of the marriage that seals the wedding.

All three of the aspects are performed in a modern Jewish wedding.  One or two rings are exchanged during the ceremony.  At the time when the ring is place don the finger there is a pledge of love and loyalty recited.  The ketubah is signed and witnessed before the ceremony begins and delivered near the end of the wedding.  Two witnesses are required to affix their Hebrew signatures to the document.  At the close of the wedding ceremony, the couple is secluded in a private room.  This act is indicative of the final consummation sealing the marriage.

A typical wedding occurs under a Huppah, or canopy.  The Huppah represents the home that the couple will craft together.  Often the Huppah is a Tallit that the bride presents to the groom and that he will wear for the rest of his life.