Wedding at the kotel

BeeStar22

Mon, Jun 17 2024, 4:00 pm

Has anyone ever been to a chuppah that takes place outside by the Kotel? We are making a second wedding and would love to have the chuppah there, and then go to a nearby restaurant to eat. Has anyone seen this?

Iymnok

Mon, Jun 17 2024, 4:03 pm

I've been to one above the kosel. If you turn around there is a large sign, "Collel Chabad". Right on top of it was The chuppah, the seuda was in the small hall just below.

amother

Razzmatazz

Mon, Jun 17 2024, 4:03 pm

I know this is bar mitzvah and not wedding but I would call this number.

https://thekotel.org/en/bar_mitzvah/

Success10 ↓

Mon, Jun 17 2024, 6:08 pm

From what I understand, you can't make a wedding directly in the kotel plaza. Local regulations. Not halacha (I think). It has to be off to the side somewhere, or up the stairs.

Elfrida ↓

Mon, Jun 17 2024, 7:10 pm

You often see a kallah going to the Kotel before her wedding, but there is never a chuppah at the kotel.

Ay one time it was very rate to even have a wedding in the Old City. Its become more accepted now, but I think people are stricter on music in the Old City.

↑ Success10

Tue, Jun 18 2024, 2:47 am

So it is a halachic thing? Or minhag Yerushalyim? I thought the Kotel authorities just didn't allow it.

↑ Elfrida

Tue, Jun 18 2024, 2:55 am

I'm not sure, but I'm inclined to think it's a string minhag.

I learnt it was based on the pesukim
עוד ישמע בערי יהודה ובחוצות ירושלים ... קול חתן וקול כלה.
The pesukim are referring to the rebuilt Beit haMikdash, so until that happens, we don't have the voice of joy and rejoicing, of the chattan and kallah in the area of the Beit haMikdash.

I couldnt find any direct information, but maybe this has some bearing on the subject.

There is an intriguing custom among certain communities in Jerusalem of only hiring a one-man-band to perform at weddings. Sometimes this one-man-band individual even does the singing as well. Although most of the more familiar customs and restrictions intended to recall the destruction of Jerusalem have been in place for many centuries, the custom of restricting the size of a band at a wedding taking place in Jerusalem is actually only of recent vintage. Furthermore, and contrary to popular misconception, this custom actually has little in common with the many other “zecher l'churban” customs which are intended to recall the destruction of Jerusalem. Rather, it was instituted about two hundred years ago by a council of Jerusalem rabbis led by Rabbi Meir Auerbach in response to a cholera epidemic that was devastating the city.[1] It had been suggested that the cholera epidemic was a Divine punishment for widespread laxity towards the Kotel and not treating it with its due respect.

There are authorities who suggest that the custom of not having a full band at a wedding was instituted only for those areas of Jerusalem which were in existence when the decree was made. Other authorities are of the opinion that the decree was made only for the Old City of Jerusalem and certainly not for the many newer neighborhoods that have been built in modern times.[3] As such, neighborhoods such as Har Nof and Talpiot, which were not in existence 200 years ago, would not be bound to the custom according to this view.

Last edited by Elfrida on Tue, Jun 18 2024, 3:37 am; edited 2 times in total

DrMom

Tue, Jun 18 2024, 3:33 am

Elfrida wrote:

I'm not sure why local authorities do not allow weddings at the Kotel, but a prohibition on music doesn't seem to be the reason. There is often music for bar mitzvahs (I've seen boys enter the Kotel Plaza accompanied by shofarim and drums), and there is certainly plenty of music on Yom Yerushalayim.

Maybe it would just be too disruptive to regular daveners to have a chuppah at right near the kotel?

amother

Topaz

Tue, Jun 18 2024, 3:22 pm