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Interesting tidbits from The
New Jewish Wedding.
- The essential Jewish wedding: "The bride accepts an object worth more
than a dime from the groom, the groom recites a ritual formula of
acquisition and consecration and these two actions must be witnessed. That's
it. All of the rest are customs."
- The meaning of chuppa (may be spelled huppa, chuppah,
huppah) is "that which covers or floats
above." In the Jewish ceremony, it's a reminder of the tents of our
ancestors, or other symbols, a holy place, can be stationery or portable.
Who stands under it is a matter of debate. Traditionally, it's only the
bride and groom.
- The origin of breaking the glass is unknown, though it's believed to have
started in the middle ages. It may symbolize the destruction of the temple
or metaphorically, an awareness of sorrow amidst the joy of the wedding.
Always marks the end of the ceremony.
- In olden times, the yichud was where the marriage was consummated
after the ceremony. Today, it's a private place where the couple may reflect
and perhaps get a second wind.
- The first of the 613 commandments is "Be fruitful and multiply."
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