The Acts Of The Jewish Commitment Services

By Raymond Fisher


Whether one is actually a Jew or just interested in Jewish commitment services, this ceremony is one of the most beautiful wedding ceremonies a culture can have. While it does have some elements of a usual contemporary marriage, there are more symbolic practices that the couple will have to perform. Here are some practices that the couple will have to do while they participate in the ceremony.

A very crucial part of this ceremony would be where the couple will break a glass. This is more of a symbolic act telling the story of the destruction of the Temple and where a new era is ushered where the couple will have a newer relationship with God. This also signifies that the couple will now communicate with God as one entity.

Another rite is where the bride will circle around the groom. Before the couple exchanges their vows, the bride has to walk in a circle around the groom seven times while holding the rings of each other making sure that their eyes are connected the whole time. This is known as the joining of souls to each other for a deeper meaning of commitment.

Now, it is very important to note that the actual marriage is broken down into two main acts with the first being the Eirusin. This is the act in which the bride and groom will change their marital statuses and the bride will acquire the surname of the groom. This act is hosted by the Rabbi in which he will let the couple share a cup of wine to unify the marriage.

After the first rite, the second main rite is the Kiddushin and the marriage proper. The first act is the giving of Kesef which is the wedding gifts or dowry in some cultures. From there, the shtar, which is the signing of marriage documents, is done with the witnesses there to see. The third is the biah or the sexual intercourse between the bride and groom for marriage consummation. However, this act is postponed and done through exchanging of wedding rings instead.

From there, a document known as the ketubah will be read by the Rabbi in which it will then be given to the bride. This is where the presence of their witnesses will signify the actual union of the couple. This is a part of the Kiddushin and is quite like where a priest will be uniting the couple through passages and prayers.

The final part of this service is the Nisuin or the public acknowledgement of this union. The last acknowledgement of this union is done by the recitation of sheva berachot. When this last document is recited, then publicly, this couple is now united in holy matrimony.

Basically, these are some practices that can be found in the commitment ceremony or wedding ceremony of Jews. The most interesting thing about these practices is that they have been around ever since the origin of Judaism. Whether one is a Jew or not, this ceremony is a beautiful one to watch because of its very interesting practices.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment