(Algemeiner) Ira Stoll - The New York Times style section has published a number of recent articles about Jewish weddings. On Dec. 2, the Times wrote: "another modified Jewish tradition: stomping on a glass (typically wrapped in cloth)...symbolizes the finality of the marital covenant." The prayer book of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Commonwealth, with new translation and commentary by former Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, includes the marriage service and the following commentary on breaking the glass: "An ancient custom, reminding us that while the Temple remains unbuilt, our joy cannot be complete. It has become a custom to preface this by reciting the verse from Psalm 137, 'If I forget you, O Jerusalem,' said by the exiles in Babylon after the destruction of the First Temple." In other words, the glass-breaking has to do with the 3,000-year-old Jewish connection to Jerusalem and the Temple.
2018-12-12 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive