What is a ketubah?
The ketubah is the Jewish marriage contract. The traditional text we are using is written in Aramaic, the vernacular of the Jewish people over 2000 years ago. This binding document details the groom’s obligations to the bride; he promises to “work for, honor, provide for and support [the bride] in accordance with the practices of Jewish husbands…” The ketubah also grants the bride several special privileges within the marriage. One of its original purposes was to specify the amount of money she would recover from her husband’s estate in the event of his death, placing her ahead of other creditors in collecting debts and protecting her interests as a widow. Hundreds of years ago, kiddushin, or betrothal, took place about one year before nissuin, the marriage. Today, we conduct both ceremonies successively, and the ketubah is read after kiddushin in order to form a separation between the two. Reading the ketubah also reminds us of the “marriage” between God and the Jewish People, where
The ketubah is a marrage contract between the husband and wife. It may be printed; more often, it is hand written in beautiful calligraphy and illuminated by a sofer, or scribe. Much of the traditional Aramaic text is over 2,000 years old, and the present form was fixed in the eighth or ninth century. The ketubah formalizes the groom’s commitment to protect and care for the bride. The ketubah has two signatures from close friends or respected teachers as formal witnesses to his commitment. Traditionally, a ketubah is a legal lien on the husband’s property which he gives his wife-to-be in the case of his death or their divorce, to ensure her maintenance and well-being. There are some options that a woman can negotiate. In traditional Judaism, the ketubah is signed by the man, read under the chupah, and given immediately to the woman. The ketubah belongs to the woman. In the liberal movements, the text of the Ketubah has been modified to be more egalitarian, and provide equal protection
