face. rnis is a symbol of intimacy bet-
ween a man and \\ m a n
The Chuppah
Some believe that the chuppah, or
wedding canopy, is a symbol of the an-
cient tent-life in Israel; others regard
it as a symbol of the wreath worn by
the bride and groom during Talmudic
times. (The original meaning of the
word chuppah is "to cover with
garlands:') The chuppah is also
thought to be a reminder of the room
in the groom's house where the bride
was brought at the end of the engage-
ment period. For many, the canopy
symbolizes the new home the bride
and groom will build. With all its
multiple meanings, the chuppah is a
standard element of a Jewish wedding.
The groom waits for his bride under
the chuppah. At some Orthodox
ceremonies, as she approaches she
circles the groom to affirm the union.
Symbolically, the bride is stepping
outside the walls of her parents' home
and stepping into this newly created
space with the groom.
It has been suggested that the bride
who walks around the groom three
times is reminding him of his three
obligations to grant her food, clothing
and conjugal relations. Some brides
encircle the groom seven times. The
significance of seven has its origins in
the mystical and holy character of the
number. (There are seven days of the
week, seven aliyot are distributed on
the Sabbath and the Sabbath is the
seventh day of the week).
The
Ring
Traditionally, the groom's response
to his bride's acceptance of the union
is the one-ring ceremony. In its earliest
form, marriage was essentially a
business transaction where the groom
acquired the bride. The transaction
was sealed by the payment of a silver
or gold coin having a determinable
value. The theory is that with the
Roman influence, a ring was
substituted for the coin.
The reason for the ring, as oppos-
ed to an equal exchange, is that the
ring is the groom's expression of corn-
mitment, just as the bride
demonstrated hers by encircling the
groom under the chuppah.
There are ways a double-ring
ceremony can be employed that do
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