In a Jewish wedding Jewish laws and traditions are followed and the ketubah is an important part of that tradition. There are many sayings in Jewish tradition that influence the practices in a Jewish wedding. According to the Talmud, man and woman were originally created as one being, as Siamese twins. God then separated them forming Eve from Adam’s side indicating that togetherness is their natural state. Another belief is that 40 days before a male child is conceived, whose daughter he will marry is proclaimed by a voice from heaven. This predetermined soul mate is called a “bashert”, which means fate or destiny. Thus, on their wedding day, the bride and groom are thought to merge into one complete soul.

The Talmud specifies that a man may acquire a wife through money, a contract or sexual relations. A woman can only be acquired with her consent. While a man generally complies with all three, only one is legally required to make the marriage binding. The acquisition of a wife by money is considered a symbolic requirement and is satisfied by the man giving the woman a wedding ring. In a Jewish wedding, the ring must belong to the groom and cannot be an item borrowed from someone else. The man must declare the value of the ring to the woman and give it to her irrevocably.

The requirement of a contract is satisfied by the ketubah which a man gives to the woman. This is a marriage contract which specifies the man’s obligations during the Jewish marriage, the provisions for inheritance in the event of his death and the support of the children from the marriage. The ketubah also provides for wife support in the event that the man divorces her and is an integral part of a Jewish wedding ceremony.

The marriage process itself consists of two parts known as kiddushin and nisuin. More than just an engagement period, kiddushin is roughly translated as “betrothal”. At this stage of the process, the woman is legally the man’s wife even though they do not live together. Once betrothed, the relationship can be broken only by death or divorce. Their marital obligations to each other, however, are not exercised until the second stage of the Jewish wedding process is completed.

In the second and final process of a Jewish wedding – the nisuin – the man and woman live together and begin their life as man and wife. In olden days, there could almost be a whole year between kiddushin and nisuin. This would give the man time to prepare a home for his new family. These days however, both are performed as part of one and the same Jewish wedding ceremony.