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Aspects of the Jewish wedding: the Kethuba
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just married with the kethuba
After the bride receives the ring, the erusin [betrothal] is complete, and the wedding ceremony progresses to nesuin [marriage] and its accompanying sheva brachos [seven blessings]. As the sheva brachos include the blessing on the wine, which has already been recited for the blessings on the erusin, we create a separation between the two components. It is traditional to do so by reading the kethuba (which you may also see spelled ketuba, kesuba, ketubah, kesubah or kethubah) before commencing the nesuin. This custom dates all the way back to the time of Rashi -- Rabbi Shlomo Yitzcahki (1040-1105), when the erusin was set to take place the day of the wedding. Reading the kethuba is one of the honors associated with the wedding ceremony, and it is usually done by a respected rabbi or highly esteemed person.
The kethuba begins with the day of the week on which the marriage takes place. It also begins with the letter beth . In Made in Heaven: A Jewish Wedding Guide, (Moznaim Publishing, 1983) Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan (p. 107) points out that the first letter of each kethuba is the same as the first letter of the Torah. Just as the Torah attest to the bond between G-d and His people, the kethubah documents the bond between husband and wife. I would add to that what our Sages say about the beginning of the Torah fits in well with that observation. The Torah begins with the same letter that begins the word bracha [blessing]. As the second letter of the alphabet, the letter beth also stands for two. It is necessary to expand beyond the singular in order to come to a state of blessing. (The Maharal explains that the association is not arbitrary but inherent in the meaning of blessing,) The concept is most apt for a marriage in which two people come together in an event of blessing, highlighted by the sheva brachos [seven blessings].
A preprinted kethuba cam be purchased from most Jewish book stores; prices start at $3. The advantage of an inexpensive kethuba is that it is affordable enough to buy a backup in case an error occurs when it is filled out. Just like on a legal document, there can be no alterations of what is already written on a kethuba. Consequently, if someone errs on the spelling of the name or on some other detail, the document would be invalid. In that case, a new kethuba must be filled in. For those who wish to frame their kethuba, there are many artistically designed kethubas available. They range in price from a few hundred to over a thousand dollars, depending on the artist and level of customization. But not all of them are designed in compliance with Jewish law. Be sure to check the text of the kethuba in advance, particularly if the wedding is for a second marriage, as the default text is usually for a first marriage.
The kethuba is the document of the marriage settlement, which is the sign of a ratified Jewish marriage. Without it, a husband and wife are not permitted to cohabitate, according to Jewish law, even if they have had a Jewish wedding ceremony. The document contains the traditional Aramic text that covers what the wife is entitled to upon dissolution of the marriage as a result of widowhood or divorce. The expression “giving the shirt off one’s back” appears to have originated in the Talmud, and it is invoked in the groom’s promise to uphold the terms of the kethuba. The wife is granted the mohar [amount set by law] and the tosefta, an additional amount that is meant to signify the groom’s personal valuation of his bride. The bride is also assured of the return of the value of whatever goods she brings in under the terms of nedunya.
The bride receives the kethuba under the chuppah. She will have to remember to take it with her after the wedding. So she should put in a safe place or have a trusted friend look after it for her until she can bring it to her home.
Related articles:symbolism-of-the-ring on-to-the-chuppah, Evoking-Yom-Kippur .Why-we-break-a-glass-at-Jewish-weddings breaking plates the-bedeken
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