The wedding

 

I was disappointed in the recent celebrity nuptials.

Realistically, I know some Jews marry non-Jews, so while the Clinton-Mezvinsky (and -that's how he'll be known - "Chelsea's husband Marc" - is not entirely unusual, there was a lot to bewail.

I understand there was a "rabbi" present - James Ponet who received his "masters and doctoral degrees from Hebrew Union College, where he was ordained in 1973" (http://yale-68.net/Bio-Jim-Ponet.htm). According to Allison Kaplan Sommer, who wrote "In Praise of the Rabbi Who Married Chelsea Clinton" on the Sisterhood blog (http://blogs.forward.com/sisterhood-blog/129761/), "The guy does great intermarriages."

I would suggest that "interfaith" be changed to "non-faith" since in most such marriages neither "faith" survives - or else the marriage dissolves, hopefully before children are involved.

But, because I know that such unions are a fact - albeit a very sad one - of life, I find the trappings of this particular extravaganza particularly galling.

Here is the groom, kippa (yarmulke) on his head and a half-tallit - in the photo it looks just big enough to qualify as sufficient to enwrap (להתעטף) the wearer. I would have preferred the groom not show ANY signs of a heritage which obviously has no value for him. Ditch the kippa, ditch the tallit. Don't embarrass those of us who DO care about who we are, what we are.

In one photo, there is what appears to be a katubah (wedding contract) in the background.

Keep that in mind for a minute - a wedding contract.

Chelsea came to the pseudo hupah (wedding canopy) - in fact simply an arbor - in a wedding gown that, despite its cost, was less than "Jewishly modest." That's not to say some Jewish brides dress equally inappropriately for what is supposed to be a holy event. Suffice to write that many non-Jewish brides show more respect for what in most cases is a religious ceremony.

The nuptials took place on Shabat - we know the day from the media blitz and we know the hour based on the photographs.

Now, back to the katubah. The katubah is a contract, and contracts made on Shabat are invalid - Jewishly, they "never happened." Granted there are several ways a man can claim a bride, the katubah being but one. I wonder if the groom and his new bride had private time together after the seven blessings were recited and if the couple did have a private moment, was it still Shabat - a moment that, like a signature, would "validate" the contract (except, of course, on Shabat).

In the end, Marc and Chelsea had either a non-Jewish "religious" wedding or a civil wedding. Never mind that Chelsea remains in her religion, Jews simply don't marry on Shabat. From a Jewish perspective, there was no marriage, ceremony and "rabbi" not withstanding.

From the standpoint of an observant Jew, the event was an insult to Judaism; hillul ha shem may be too strong, but it did cross my mind.

One thing is certain; it will give the far right rabbinute more grounds to suspect all non-(Ashkenazi) "Orthodox" Jews' Jewishness, especially those from countries such as the United States.

The Clinton and what's-his-name nuptials were not good for Judaism.

Comments in English and Hebrew are welcome; all others will be DELeted automatically.

Yohanon Glenn

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Yohanon.Glenn at gmail dot com