The Ketubah

A Ketubah (ketubbah, ketuba) is a Jewish marriage contract

. It is a legal document describing the financial obligations of a bridegroom to his bride. The Ketubah is the earliest recorded pre-nuptial agreement. It was instituted to protect women in the event of divorce or widowhood. The Ketubah, signed prior to the wedding, is a written obligation by the husband to pay his wife a certain sum upon divorce. Ketubah means "that which is written". As expressed in the Gemarah: "So he should not deem it an easy thing to send her away" (Ketubot, 11a).

It is believed that a marriage document was first introduced during the time of the Babylonian Exile and actual marriage contracts dated 449 BCE have been discovered in Elephantine (an island in the middle of the Nile River). The text of the Ketubah is attributed to Rabbi Simeon ben Shetah, Head of the Sandhedrin, during the second century BCE in Tractate Ketubot (82b). He included the clause "All my property shall be a guarantee and security for the payment of your Ketubah." The formula was so comprehensive that the Aramaic text is still used today.

In addition to financial obligations, the text of the Ketubah also includes other obligations such as conjugal rights, food, clothing, shelter, medical and burial expenses.

The Ketubah is read under the chuppah (bridal canopy) and is then handed over from the groom to his bride. The married couple is prohibited from spending even one hour together without a Ketubah. If the Ketubah is lost, the husband must have another one written for his wife.

As a general rule, Jewish ritual objects are beautifully adorned in order to properly fulfill the commandment or obligation. The earliest examples of decorated Ketubot come from the tenth century. The custom of decorating the Ketubah with microscopic script, illumination and ornamentation depended upon the community and wealth of the individuals. Coming out of the Middle Ages, the traditions of the Ashkenazi and Sephardi in regard to decorating Ketubot diverged sharply. The Ashkenazim considered the Ketubah a legal contract and therefore the appearance was of little importance. In contrast, the Spanish Jews conceived of the Ketubah as being a more personal document that required lengthy financial negotiations and preparations and therefore a more elaborate manuscript. A public reading and display of the Ketubah served to exhibitthe family's wealth and position.

The Ketubah

By: Marcia Karon

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