KETUBAH

A 'ketubah' is a marriage contract which is one of several aspects a traditional Jewish marriage. It is not a prenuptial agreement, which in some jurisdictions is enforceable in a civil court. A marriage contract usually is not enforceable in a civil court. The ''ketubah'' has a special significance in the Jewish community.
The rabbis in ancient times insisted on the marriage couple entering into the ''ketubah'' as a protection for the wife. It acted as a replacement of the biblical dower or bride price, which was payable at the time of the marriage by the groom to the bride or her parents. The ''ketubah'' became a mechanism whereby the amount due to the wife (the dower) came to be paid in the event of the cessation of marriage, either by the death of the husband or divorce. It may be noted that the biblical bride price created a major social problem: many young prospective husbands could not raise the bride price at the time when they would normally be expected to marry. So, to enable these young men to marry, the rabbis, in effect, delayed the time that the amount would be payable, when they would be more likely to have the sum. The mechanism adopted was to provide for the bride price to be a part of the ''ketubah''. It may also be noted that both the dower and the ''ketubah'' amounts served the same purpose: the protection for the wife should her support (either by death or divorce) cease. The only difference between the two systems was the timing of the payment. It is the predecessor to the wife's present-day entitlement to maintenance in the event of the breakup of marriage.
In the ''ketubah'' the husband undertakes to provide food, clothing and marital relations to his wife, and that he will pay a specified sum of money if he divorces her or if he were to die before her. The amount is also called a ''ketubah''. If he dies, leaving her a widow, the ''ketubah'' amount is the first charge on his estate.
The ''ketubah'' is ''not'' part of ''kiddushin'', the actual Jewish marriage ceremony, however, the groom and bride may not engage in marital relations as a consequence of nissuin (the second part of the marriage ceremony) unless two valid witnesses have signed a ''ketubah''.
Ketubot (the plural for ketubah) have many different styles of language and designs, depending on the beliefs and traditions of the couple. Traditionally, the language of the ketubah formalises the various requirements by the Torah of a Jewish husband ''vis à vis'' his wife (e.g. giving her adequate resources for dress, sexual intercourse), and stipulates the sum to be paid by him in case of divorce, which is 200 ''Zuz'' (a Talmudic currency) - generally considered the sum to support oneself financially for a full year.
A traditional ketubah is written in Aramaic. Conservative Jews often include an additional paragraph, called the Lieberman clause, which stipulates that divorce will be adjudicated by a modern rabbinical court in order to prevent the problem of the agunah. Reform Jews and interfaith couples often opt for more egalitarian language, similar in tone to marriage vows, which stress the values on which they base their relationship and marriage (love, companionship, family, tradition, etc.). Many times a traditional text will be accompanied by a more creative, poetic and egalitarian rendition in English. Because there is a variety of available texts, betrothed couples often consult their rabbi or wedding officiant in order to determine which ketubah text is right for them.
A recent flourishing of non-standard ketubah texts have provided more specialized options for marrying couples, including those designed for same gender couples, couples with only one Jewish partner, secular humanists, and other individually crafted commitment texts.
The ketubah is one of the predominant forms of Jewish art, or judaica, found in the home. Ketubot are often hung prominently in the home by the married couple as a daily reminder of their vows and responsibilities to each other. Ketubot have been made in a wide range of designs, usually following the tastes and styles of the era and region in which they are made. Many couples follow the Jewish tradition of hiddur mitzvah which calls for ceremonial objects such as the ketubah to be made as beautiful as possible. They choose a design which reflects both their artistic tastes and their feelings about marriage. Many designs incorporate religious or secular symbolism, such as the Tree of Life, the Star of David, Jerusalem, or images from nature.

Contents

See also

External links

See also

★ Judaism

★ Jewish view of marriage

★ Nikah (''A Muslim Marriage contract'')

External links

★ Ketubbot collection, Jewish National and University Library

★ Description of the Lieberman Clause

★ Translation of the traditional Orthodox and Conservative ketubah texts

★ Ketubah in the Judaica Guide

★ Article on how interfaith couples add a ketubah to their ceremony

★ Ketubah from Ancona, Italy, 1776: information, zoomable image British Library website