Interesting Psak: breaking the glass

Kipa is reporting on an interesting psak given by Rav Yuval Cherlo.

According to Rav Cherlo there are some things that women can do under the chuppa at a wedding, in an official capacity, while other things cannot be done by women. The purpose is to find a way to get women more involved, where possible, in the chuppa ceremony as many desire to.

Rav Cherlo warns that any changes must be made within the parameters of halacha, and care must be taken to ensure that any such changes will not be seen by some people as obligations or halachic necessities.

So, according to Rav Cherlo a woman, the kalla, could break the glass instead of (or even in addition to) the chosson. This is not a halachic necessity, but a minhag to break a glass, so a woman could do it as well.

Women, Rav Cherlo says, could also lead the chuppa ceremony. They can read the kesuba under the chuppa. The kalla can also make the bracha of Shehecheyanu on the ring or on her wedding dress, just as the chosson makes the bracha on his tallis.

On the other hand, pun intended, Rav Cherlo is strongly opposed to a two ring ceremony in which the chosson and kalla exchange rings. He even says he is opposed to such a ceremony being held after the chuppa's conclusion and even using a different text, though he concedes some rabbonim allow it after the chuppa and you cannot say it is prohibited..

Rav Cherlo is also opposed to women saying any of the sheva brachos under the chuppa. Sheva brachos requires a minyan so halachically a woman's bracha in this situation would be a bracha l'vatala. He does suggest that if a woman insists on saying a bracha under the chuppa they can add an 8th bracha, without using Hashem's name, using the text similar to that of the bracha made in the days of the Geonim - the bracha is found in the siddur of Rav Amram Gaon. The text of this bracha is:

כהיום הזה בירושלים –
ירבו שמחות בישראל, וינוסו אנחות מישראל,
ירבו בשורות טובות בישראל, ירבו ישועות בישראל,
ירבו נחמות בישראל.
תרבה אהבה בישראל, תרבה ברכה בישראל,
תרבה גילה בישראל, תרבה דיצה בישראל,
ירבה הוד בישראל, ירבה ועד בישראל,
ירבו זכות בישראל, ירבה חתן בישראל,
ירבו ימים טובים בישראל, תרבה כלה בישראל.
יצליחו חתן וכלה, ישמחו שניהם זה עם זה
ויעלצו שניהם זה עם זה,
ישמח חתן בכלה וכלה תשמח בחתן.
ברוך אתה משמח חתן בכלה וכלה בחתן.

------------------------------------------------------
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel

------------------------------------------------------