Kiss and Cry: Marc Gafni [

One of the most poignant moments of the Hebrew wedding is the mythic rite of the groom’s placing of a veil over the face of the bride. In doing this, he recognizes that so much of her is still hidden from him and he commits his life to coming to know her.
At this point the community blesses the bride. The officiant invokes the memory of the ancestor Jacob. Jacob is the one who sees Rachel for the first time at the well, falls in love with her instantly, kisses her, and cries. We evoke this story at the wedding because it has some important wisdom to whisper in our ear.

Why does he cry at this first kiss moment of ecstasy? Tears of ecstasy and joy to be sure. But the mystics add another dimension. They say he cried because at that moment, he saw with the holy spirit that the temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed – and that the reason of its destruction would be the petty hatred between people. The temple, the symbol of eros and love, can withstand any attack except that of pettiness and causeless hatred.

marc gafni
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