Re: last child (question from my web page)

[Moshe Denburg <denburg...>]

Mark David wrote:

>
>I got this question through my web site.  Can anyone answer it?
>
>>My last child is geting married and I know that the ritual that my wife
>sit in
>>a chair in the middle of the floor and all dance around her. what song does
>>the band play? can i purchase the song so that I can give it to the band?
>
>Mark David
>Yiddish Voice Radio
>http://www.yv.org/

It is the bride who sits in a chair, not the mother of the bride (or groom).
The song which is sung is 'Keytsad m'rakdim lifnei hakala', which translated
means: 'How does one dance before the bride?'

I believe this is from the Talmud, a question that the Rabbis ask, in order
to ascertain how best to fulfill the mitzvah of making the bride (and groom)
happy.

The tradition is that all the guests take turns dancing as crazily and
funnily as they can, while the bride sits watching. One popular way of doing
it is to have men and women line up opposite each other and take turns
trying to outdo each other dancing before the bride. The groom may also be
seated with her.

I don't know where precisely you can find the music, Mark, but it's quite
common, and being an 8 bar melody, if you're in a pinch I could fax it to you.

All the Best,

Moshe Denburg