The most exciting of all life cycle events has to be weddings,
and the highlight of every Jewish wedding has to be the chupah ceremony in particular. The dawning of the wedding day heralds the happiest and holiest day of one's life.
Take a moment to picture the scene; the day has arrived and the destined moment is upon the young couple. Neither a moment sooner nor a moment later. In honour of the new couple, guests arrive at the chosen venue in finest dress. This is in order to enhance the Simcha and joy of the young couple and stresses the significance of the day.
The wedding ceremony takes place under the chupah (canopy), a symbol of the home that the new couple will build together.
It is open on all sides, just as Abraham and Sarah had their tent open all sides to welcome people in unconditional hospitality. The Chatan usually makes his way to the chupah first, often accompanied by his parents, grandparents and siblings. This is followed by the bridal procession and her family and finally the bride herself.
Upon reaching the chupah the kallah (bride) encircles the Chatan (groom) seven times whilst parents and often grandparents are overcome by tears of emotion as they watch their dear children become betrothed in a magical ceremony of holiness and love.
The musicians play hearty tunes that stir the depths of the soul and the chazan sings beautiful melodies of blessings and psalms that have been sung at Jewish wedding ceremonies for thousands of years. The heartfelt singing of the chazan reflects the meaningful once-in-a-lifetime blessings that are sung specifically to a bride and groom. Special attention should be given to the music and choice of songs, as these have often been carefully chosen by the bride and groom.
This day is often considered a personal Yom Kippur for the bride and groom, for on this day all their past mistakes are forgiven as they merge into a new, complete soul. For this reason it is customary for the bride and groom to fast on their wedding day.
One of the most popular melodies that will be sung under your chupah will be that of “Eshet Chayil” composed by King Solomon. The circling around the groom symbolizes the idea of the woman being a protective, surrounding light of the household, that illuminates it with understanding and love from within and protects it from harm from the outside. The number seven parallels the seven days of creation, and symbolizes the fact that the bride and groom are about to create their own "new world" together.
I always strongly advise the bride and groom to read-up on the minhagim (traditions) of the various procedures that take place under the chupah. This is in order to be well-versed in the ceremony which in turn will make the entire service a much more meaningful experience for you.
The ceremony ends with the well-known Sheva Brachot over a second cup of wine. These are often sung by the chazan accompanied by the musicians.
The blessings begin with praising G-d for His creation in general and the creation of the human being The blessings express the hope that the new couple will rejoice together forever as though they are the original couple, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The blessings also include a prayer that Jerusalem will be fully rebuilt and restored with the Temple in its midst and the Jewish people within her gates.
At this point the couple again shares in drinking the cup of wine, and the groom breaks a glass by stamping on it. This custom dates back to Talmudic times, and symbolizes the idea of our keeping Jerusalem and Israel in our minds even at times of our joy. Just as the Temple in Jerusalem is destroyed, so we break a utensil to show our identification with the sorrow of Jewish exile. The verse, "If I forget thee O' Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its cunning: If I do not raise thee over my own joy, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth", is sometimes recited at this point. With the breaking of the glass the band plays, and the guests usually break out into dancing and cries of "Mazaltov! Mazaltov!"
