Jewish wedding
The Road to a Jewish Wedding
A Jewish wedding is something more than an agreement between two people. While people do get married for that legal protection that only marriage can bring, a Jewish wedding is something much more than that. It is also the blending of the souls of two people. This is especially true in a traditional Jewish marriage.
Shidduck is the first step that leads to a Jewish wedding. For a traditional Jewish marriage, people do not meet by chance. Instead, they are set up by a friend or family member. They set up a meeting to see if they are compatible. If they are, they are able to proceed to the next stage.
A Vort is then held to announce the engagement. This is a small gathering by the families in order to tell family and friends about the impending wedding. During this reception, the families can sign a contact that states important information about the wedding.
When there is only a week left until the wedding, the prospective bride and groom stop seeing each other. It is believed that they will become more excited about the wedding when they have to go without each other for seven days.
Prior to the wedding, the groom signs a Ketuvah. This is a marriage contract. It outlines everything that will be expected of the husband. Also, it ensures financial security for the bride in case the husband was to divorce her or die.
Jewish traditional weddings are surprisingly modern in the sense they have the forethought to consider things such as divorce. They offer protection to both parties, and they work to join the souls in a way that is fair to both parties.
While the road to the wedding is steeped in ritual, it is also very practical. The Jewish culture truly believes in joining of the souls, and because of that, they respect both parties that enter into a marriage.
-- The author, Adherents, runs the website adherents.com which collects and presents statistics and other information on religion. Adherents.com is the leading authority when referencing religious statistics for the TV news and print media. © 2008 http://www.adherents.com - All Rights Reserved
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