The Jewish Wedding
Summer is a popular season for weddings. Rabbi Woznica considers adding a custom he recently witnessed.
A Beautiful and Meaningful Custom
Allow me to set the scene: During the wedding processional, the groom stood under the chuppah with his family. They were followed by the bride, flanked by her parents. Then, as they walked down the aisle toward the chuppah, they paused. The groom walked back toward his bride. She embraced her parents, as did the groom. Her parents walked toward the chuppah. The bride and groom remained behind.
What happened next was, for me, a first.
As the bride and groom approached the chuppah, their respective fathers took a few steps in front of it. They each held a Chumash, the Torah in book form. Standing on each side of the runway, holding their respective Chumashim (books) high, they raised them across the aisle until the books touched.
They created a mini overpass of the words of the Torah.
The couple then walked under this mini overpass; they entered the chuppah with the words of the Torah literally held above them. This symbolized not only a love of Torah but also the hope that their married life would be shaped by its ideals.
It is a custom worthy of including with greater frequency.
– Rabbi David Woznica