A Jewish Betrothal and Wedding
Jewish betrothal and wedding customs and traditions can be dated back centuries, perhaps more than 2,000 years ago. It survived numerous generations as we traced back the record of the wedding of Cana, Galilee where Jesus Christ miraculously changed the water into wine. Not just any ordinary wine but the best wine, proclaimed the master of the banquet when he tasted it. It can only be done by The Lord of Time and Space, the Creator of the Universe.
In the current context of a Jewish wedding, there are 10 to 13 processes to begin with; differentiated largely by the returning immigrants to the nation Israel since 1948. The 2 main ethnic groups within the community are Ashkenazi Jews and Sephardi Jews, between them are varied customs and traditions that were passed down since the 2 main Diasporas.
However, in this writing of the Trilogy of Love Eternal, I will focus on the few key components of the Jewish wedding customs and traditions to mirror the identical events that took place when Israel was the wife of God. The same will apply on the church, the bride of Christ, as we see the similarities in the 3 different subjects. The two-steps Jewish marriage ceremony; Betrothal and Marriage Ceremony were practiced by the chosen people of God since time immemorial. Through this knowledge we will comprehend on why God did this and that for Israel and the Church. Understanding the Jewish’s customs and traditions will shed light on the forthcoming momentous events: The new Covenant with the church, Rapture and the Marriage Feast of the Lamb in heaven.
To begin, as mentioned earlier, there are about 10 to 13 processes in a customary Jewish wedding. Out of the list of processes but not in order of sequence, I will touch mainly the Ketubah, Chuppah, Birkat Erusin, Baptism of the Bride, and Kiddusin and Nis’uin.
Ketubah is a marriage contract that detailed the groom’s principal obligations to his wife, in terms of rights and responsibilities and affection. The contract does include the bride’s “purchase price” also known as Mohar as required in the Mosaic’ Laws.
Chuppah was and still is a marriage covering or tent, where the couple performs their marriage ceremony underneath it. Here, the bridegroom will emphatically state his commitments to love and protect the bride publicly. The spiritual aspect of the covering of the chuppah, denotes God ‘s presence and blessing over the covenanted marriage of two persons.
Baptism of the bridegroom and bride in Jewish context is done prior to the betrothal stage known as Kiddushin. This ritual of immersion in water is symbolic of cleansing, sanctification or purification.
Kiddusin is the first of the two stages of a Jewish marriage. According to the Torah law, marriage is a two-step process. Kiddushin is the first stage of this ceremony known also as a betrothal. In this stage, the marriage contract was decided with regard to the groom’s intention of marrying his bride, the groom’s finance and protection obligation to the bride and the bridal’s price. This marriage contract will then be publicly announced to invited guests at the Chuppah.
Niu’sin , is the 2nd stage of the marriage ceremony. In ancient biblical times, this stage happens usually 6-12 months after the betrothal but in recent times, both Kiddushin and Niu’sin may be or were performed simultaneously on the same wedding day.
Don’t forget the next episode of the Trilogy of Love Eternal – Part 2 that deals with the chosen people of Israel. The blissful marriage that turns into divorce due to Israel’s spiritual adulteries.