Wedding Customs
Sichos
HaRan 86
From
Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom, trans. Aryeh Kaplan
Breslov
Research Institute 1974
It
is customary that people get up and say humorous things at a wedding. It is
also customary to begin by saying " Ehla - Rise!"
The
Talmud says, "A woman may rise with her husband, but does not descend with
him. "
People
say, "Rise!" along with the humor, for the bride will rise with her
husband with every joy and pleasure, but not descend with him.
It
is customary to cover the bride's face with a veil. Rachel is "the
beautiful girl who has no eyes."
This is the bride.
It
is written (Proverbs 25:2), "G‑d's glory is to hide a thing."
This also speaks of the bride.
It
is customary to throw baked goods at the groom. It is written (Ezekiel 1:20),
"Wherever the spirit went, the Ophanim were lifted up."
An
Ophan is an angel. Baked goods are Ophin. The similar spelling
indicates a similarity in essence.
The
groom is the paradigm of the "spirit."
Wherever the groom goes, baked goods are lifted up.
It
is customary to give money to the dancers at a wedding. This is called
"Sabbath Money."
It
is written (Psalms 68:1.3), "Hosts of angels
throng and whirl, and she who stays home divides the spoil."
The
dancers throng and whirl. When they are given money, they "divide the
spoil."
The
revelation at Sinai was a wedding. It is written (Song of Songs 3:11),
"His mother crowned him on the day of his wedding." This is the
revelation at Sinai.
Mount
Sinai is also a ladder.
Take
the letters of the word SINaI and turn them into numbers. The Gematria then
gives you SuLaM (ladder)
SINaI:
Samech = 60
Yud = 10
Nun
= 50
Yud
= 10
Total:
130
This
is the ladder in Jacob's dream.
It
is written (Genesis 28:12), "And behold a ladder ... and angels of G‑d
went up and down on it."
The
dancers go up and down, raising and lowering their bodies. They dance on the
ladder of Sinai - the day of
the wedding.
The
money given to the dancers is called "Sabbath Money."
It
is written, "She who stays home divides the spoil." This is the money given the dancers, as
mentioned earlier.
In
Hebrew, this verse is UNevas Bayis Vchalek Shalel. The first letters of
the words spell out ShaBaT - the Sabbath.
It
is customary for the groom to give a scholarly discourse. It is written,
"His mother crowned him on the day of his wedding." The wedding is
the revelation at Sinai. The groom speaks words of Torah, just like G‑d
did at Sinai.
It
is customary to present the groom with gifts. These are called Derashah
Geshank - "Discourse Gifts."
It
is written (Psalms 68:19), "You have ascended on high, you have captured
the prize, you have received gifts from among men." These are the gifts
given to the groom.
It
is said that the groom's lecture helps to unite the couple.
Before
Jacob saw the dream of the ladder, it is written (Genesis 28:11), "And he
lay down in that place."
"And
he lay down" is VaYiShKab. This also spells VaYesh Kaf Beis - "and there are 22." These are
the 22 letters of the Hebrew Alphabet.
The
lecture unites 22 letters into words of Torah, just as the couple is united.
It
is customary for the dancers to do Pristakes, raising and lowering their
bodies.
It
is written (Genesis 46:4), "1 will go down to Egypt with you, and I will
bring you up." This is symbolized by the up‑and‑down motions.
"I
will go down with you to Egypt." The exile in Egypt was to gather together
the holy sparks from Adam's wasted seed.
"I
will bring you up." When Israel left Egypt this was accomplished and the
Covenant of Abraham was rectified.
A
wedding is also a rectification of the Covenant.
We
therefore dance to symbolize the exile and redemption.
It
is customary to interrupt the bridegroom's lecture. This symbolizes the
breaking of the Tablets.
It
is customary for the best man to dress the bridegroom in the Kittel, a
plain white linen robe.
It
is written (Ibid.) "And Joseph will place his band on your eyes." The
son closes his father's eyes upon death."
Joseph
is the best man.
The
Kittel is the garment of the dead.
It is Joseph who makes this preparation for death.
It
is customary for the dancers to do somersaults.
The
revelation at Sinai was a wedding. There it is written (Exodus 19:3), "And
Moses went up." It is also written (ibid. 19:20), "And G‑d
descended onto Mount Sinai." Sinai then involved "the superior below
and the inferior above."
Thus the dancers engage in somersaults.
These reasons were revealed to Rabbi Yudel and Rabbi Shmuel Isaac on Shemini
Atzeres 5563 (Oct. 17, 1802), just a few weeks after the Rebbe arrived in
Breslov. This was also just a few months before the wedding of his daughter
Sarah. On the Sabbath after the wedding, 3 Nissan (Mar. 25, 1803), he delivered
the lesson in Lekutey Moharan 49, also discussing these same customs. Parparos
LeChochmah a.l., Shevachey Moharan 6a (23).
A somewhat different reason is given in
Lekutey Moharan 49:7.
Zohar 2:95a, Netzutzey Oros a.l., Pri Etz
Chaim, Kerias Sh'ma, end of chap. 24. Rachel is the true bride of Zer
Anpin, the transcendental groom. She has such pure faith that she is blind
to anything that may question it. See Lekutey Moharan 62:5, above, 32.
"Glory" always refers to Malchus or Royalty, which in the
Kabbalah is personified by the transcendental bride, Rachel.
The wording in the Hebrew text is somewhat different than the actual scripture.
We have emended Rabbi Kaplan's translation here (ed.).
The Biblical reading here is Malchei-kings.
Here, however, the Talmudic reading of Shabbos 68b is used, namely Malachei-angels. A number of other places indicate
that the verse actually speaks of angels, cf. Mechilta to Exodus 20:16, Shemos
Rabbah 33:4, Devarim Rabbah 7:10, 11:3. This is resolved by a
statement that the verse actually refers to the archangels, the "kings of
angels"; cf. BaMidhar Rabbah 11:5, Shir HaShirim Rabbah 11:
12, Koheles Rabbah 9:12; Paneach Raza, Yisro, p. 114b.
Cf. Lekutey Moharan 49:7.
Tikuney Zohar 18 (34a), 70 (132b), Etz
Chaim, Shaar HaYere'ach 3; Lekutey Moharan B 79.
Song of Songs 1:4 is interpreted to apply both to a happy marriage and to the
22 letters of the Torah in Shir HaShirim Rabbah 1:31, 32. Cf. Eitz
Chaim, loc. cit., Lekutey Moharan B 89; Kesubos 10b.
Lekutey Moharan B 5:10. Cf. Shemonah Shaarim, Shaar Hamitzvos on
Deut. 16:3; Shaar HaKavanos, Pesach 1.
Tur Yoreh Deah 352. Cf. Shabbos 23:5 (151b).
The best man makes the preparations for the groom just as Joseph paved the way
for Jacob, who symbolizes the transcendental groom, as mentioned earlier. Cf. Baba
Basra 123a.