Re: mitzvot music

[Wholesale Klezmer Band <ganeydn...>]

Below is the translation of the traditional Orthodox ketuba.  It 
contains something that you could call  a vow, though not in the 
biblical sense.  More like the sense of promise.  Actually a contract 
or covenant.  Egalitarian ketubot contain similar language but are 
more symmetrical.  The part you could call "vows" are in upper case.

Usually the only music we play at the khupe is background music at 
the beginning, music for processionals, music for the bride circling 
the groom under the khupe, and khosn-kale mazltov or simn-tov after 
the breaking of the glass.  Very rarely have we been asked to play 
music in the middle of the ceremony, but one notable occasion was a 
couple who were labor organizers who asked us to play some Yiddish 
labor movement songs during the ceremony.

This is the Orthodox text.  You can find other texts at:
        http://www.HebrewLettering.com/customprintforms/ketubatexts.html


On the _______ day of the week, the _______ day of the month _______ 
in the year _______ since the creation of the world, according to the 
reckoning which we are accustomed to use here in _______ in_______ . 
Now _______ son of _______ of the family _______ said to _______ 
daughter of _______ of the family _______ : Be thou my wife according 
to the law of Moses and of Israel, and I WILL WORK FOR THEE, HONOR, 
PROVIDE FOR AND SUPPORT THEE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PRACTICE OF 
JEWISH HUSBANDS, WHO WORK FOR THEIR WIVES, HONOR, PROVIDE FOR AND 
SUPPORT THEM IN TRUTH. AND I WILL SET ASIDE FOR THEE AS A _______ 
_______ SILVER ZUZ, WHICH BELONG TO THEE ACCORDING TO RABBINIC LAW, 
AND THY FOOD, CLOTHING AND OTHER NECESSARY BENEFITS WHICH A HUSBAND 
IS OBLIGATED TO PROVIDE; AND I WILL LIVE WITH THEE IN ACCORDANCE WITH 
THE REQUIREMENTS PRESCRIBED FOR EACH HUSBAND."

And _______ consented and became his wife. Her belongings that she 
brought from her family's home, in silver, gold, valuables, clothing 
and household furnishings, all this _______ the said groom accepted 
in the sum of  _____ silver pieces, adding from himself another _____ 
pieces, making a total of ___ hundred silver pieces. And thus said 
_______ the groom:

"I TAKEUPON MYSELF, AND MY HEIRS AFTER ME, THE SURETY OF THIS 
KETUBAH, OF THE DOWRY AND OF THE ADDITIONAL SUM, SO THAT ALL THIS 
SHALL BE PAID FROM THE BEST PART OF MY PROPERTY, REAL AND PERSONAL, 
THAT I NOW POSSESS OR MAY HEREAFTER ACQUIRE. ALL MY PROPERTY, EVEN 
THE MANTLE ON MY SHOULDERS, SHALL BE MORTGAGED FOR THE SECURITY OF 
THIS KETUBAH AND OF THE DOWRY AND OF THE ADDITION MADE THERETO, 
DURING MY LIFETIME AND AFTER MY LIFETIME FROM THIS DAY FOREVER."

And the surety for all the obligations of this ketubah, dowry and the 
additional sum has been assumed by _______ the groom, with the full 
obligation dictated by all documents of ketubot and additional sums 
due every daughter of Israel, executed in accordance with the 
enactment of our sages, of blessed memory. It is not to be regarded 
as an indecisive contractual obligation nor as a stereotyped form.
And we have completed the act of acquisition from _______ son of 
_______ the bridegroom, for _______ daughter of _______  this ____ , 
for all that which is stated and explained above, by an instrument 
legally fit to establish a transaction. And everything is valid and 
established.
Witness____________________________
Witness____________________________

Zayt gezunt (be healthy),

Yosl (Joe) Kurland
The Wholesale Klezmer Band
Colrain, MA 01340
voice/fax: 413-624-3204
http://www.WholesaleKlezmer.com
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At 3:17 PM -0400 7/16/02, Jordan Hirsch wrote:
>on 7/16/02 3:12 PM, Jeremy A Schiffer at schiffer (at) columbia(dot)edu wrote:
>
>  > Exactly. That's my whole point. There's no way a musician could
>  > intuitively know, so you have to talk to the participants ahead of time to
>  > figure out exactly what they are planning (and expecting) for their
>  > wedding. This is the _only_ point I've been trying to make with this
>  > thread.
>truth be told, when Jeremy referred to vows before, i took it to mean a
>generic term for ceremony. BTW, I have seen a truncated version of vows at
>an Orthodox wedding,
>
>Jordan Hirsch
>

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