Weddings

The Hebrew term for marriage is Kiddushin, derived from the Hebrew word kadosh, meaning "holy" or "sacred." In our tradition, marriage is a sanctification of life, a consecration of self to your spouse toward noble ends.

Marriage is something more than a social institution that rests solely on biological, economic, legal and psychological bases. Marriage is a spiritual relationship between husband and wife. It is the joining of two souls who together become a complete unity. The rabbis of the Talmud said, "A man who does not have a wife is not a whole person." Your love for your life's partner elevates you and fills your heart with ennobling impulses. That is why we speak of marriage as sacred and holy.

Preparation for a wedding is a joyous but challenging set of tasks. The date must be fixed, the invitations and flowers ordered, the menu and music planned. There are a thousand and one details to be decided. The Rabbi and all Temple beth-El’s staff are readily available to you for consultation.

Every couple planning to get married dreams of having the perfect wedding, whatever their concept of that may be. They hope fervently that everything will go off without a hitch, even down to the most minute detail. But while most couples usually have a well conceived idea of what type of wedding they would like, few are aware of what is involved in bringing it about until they begin the actual groundwork.

The months preceding a wedding, while filled with joy and anticipation, can also be a difficult time for all parties concerned. It is a time when tensions are running high on all sides. And yet, it is also a time when the bride and bridegroom-to-be are trying hard to establish positive relationships with each other's families. It is a time when one's maturity may be put to the test. You sometimes may feel tempted to just run off and elope. It is important to bear in mind that the wedding ceremony will take one day in your life, while the relationships between your families will continue to grow for many years.

Rabbi Torop requires all couples to engage in pre-marital counseling as part of the wedding preparation process.  More information about this can be found at www.prepare-enrich.com.

> Download “A Bridge to Holiness” – Rabbi Torop’s Guide for Wedding Couples

> Link to Prepare/Enrich Premarital site

> Other links and resources page