The Ketubah is the marriage contract that outlines the obligations of the husband to his wife, as well as the financial compensation due to the wife in the event of the marriages dissolution through divorce or widowhood. Similar to a Get (divorce document), the Ketubah is traditionally written in Aramaic, the common language of the Jews during Talmudic times.
Why was it originally written in Aramaic, not Hebrew? And why is it still written in that language today, when most of us are more proficient in English or another language?
The importance of the Ketubahs precise and exact language cannot be overstated, due to the legal nature of the Ketubah as well as its deeper spiritual significance.
In fact, having a properly written kosher Ketubah is so criticalnot just to the marriage ceremony itself, but to married life in generalthat it is problematic for a couple to live together, even temporarily, without a kosher Ketubah. (In the event that the document is lost or destroyed, or if a serious error is found in its text, the couple must immediately obtain a replacement from a rabbi.)
For centuries, going back to Talmudic times, the sages have pored over the Aramaic Ketubah formula, ensuring that each word is precise, and especially looking out for words that may have multiple meanings.
As with contemporary contracts, the more important the contract, the more experts youd have review the language to tighten it and make sure it is precise. So it is no wonder that the contract for marriage, one of the most important and monumental steps that one takes in life, bonding two half-souls into one union, needs to have extremely precise language. Thus, we use the traditional Aramaic text, which has gone through the rigor of centuries of Talmudic scholars.
Although it is theoretically possible to have a Get or Ketubah in another languageif written precisely, in accordance with all the relevant laws, etc.halachah only permits this in extreme situations.
To be sure, there are many translations of the Ketubah, both in English and Hebrew (including on our site). And since the Ketubah is a legal document, one should certainly read a translation to understand what is written in it (or at the very least, have the rabbi explain the basics of the document). Nevertheless, the actual Ketubah used for the marriage should be the traditional text, ensuring that it is precise and kosher.
Aside from the legal aspect of the Ketubah, there are deeper reasons for the Aramaic as well.
The Ketubah has been written in Aramaic going back to Second Temple times, imbuing the text with holiness and the tradition of our ancestors. Thus, using the traditional Aramaic text of the Ketubah links us and our future family to our ancestors rich and illustrious heritage.
The Ketubah and the Get are actually written in Aramaic with a sprinkling of Hebrew. A document that alternates between two languages is generally invalid. So why is it OK here?
Among other explanations, Rabbi Moses Isserlis explains that Aramaic has a certain holiness to it (going back to Mount Sinai ) and can therefore go together with Hebrew, the Holy Tongue.
In fact, parts of the Bible itself, as well as the Oral Torah as recorded in the Talmud, are written in Aramaic. Furthermore, some of the special prayers, such as the Kaddish, are also recited in Aramaic, signifying that Aramaic is considered a special and unique language.
But why was Aramaic chosen over Hebrew?
On a homiletic level, many cite a Midrash regarding the time before Gd gave the Jewish people the Torah. Wishing to keep the Torah in Heaven, some angels claimed that mere mortals could not be trusted to study the Torah. In reply, Gd promised that the Jewish men would occupy themselves with learning Torah.
Yet, in the text of the Ketubah, the Jewish men accept upon themselves unconditionally to work their very hardest to support their wives. This can theoretically be used by the angels to bolster their case that the Jews cannot be relied upon to study Torah assiduously.
The sages teach us that the angels understand all languages except for Aramaic. Thus, some explain, by writing it in Aramaic we prevent the angels from using the Ketubah in their argument.
In a somewhat similar vein, some cite another Midrash.
When the time came for Gd to create Adam, Gd consulted the ministering angels. The Angel of Truth said, Dont create humans, for they will be full of lies. The Angel of Peace said, Do not create them, for they will be in constant strife! What did Gd do? He grabbed the Angel of Truth and hurled him to the earth.
While that took care of the Angel of Truth, the commentaries ask, how did Gd contend with the Angel of Peace?
The commentaries explain that, based on the halachah that one is allowed to bend the truth to keep the peace, now that the need for absolute truth had been thrown down, it was possible to maintain peace.
However, part of the text of the Ketubah reads, I will work, honor, feed and support you in the custom of Jewish men, who work, honor, feed and support their wives faithfully. The Aramic word translated as faithfully, , literally means in truth. Thus, when we are creating a union that will, with the help of Gd, result in more of mankind, we are stating that it will be with truth. This gives room for the Angel of Peace to again raise objections that there will be a lack of peace. To avoid this, we write it in a language that the angels dont understand.
These homiletical explanations, while not the main reasons for the Aramaic Ketubah, stress the importance of being mindful to imbue our new home with Torah and peace.
See the article here:
Why Is the Ketubah Written in Aramaic? - Questions & Answers - Chabad.org
- How to beat the virus? It's in the Talmud - Jewish News - July 12th, 2020 [July 12th, 2020]
- How Two-and-a-Half Tribes Ended Up Over the Jordan - Chabad.org - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]
- Don't hide from the sins of St. Louis - America Magazine - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]
- In Defense of King Louis IX | Thomas F. Madden - First Things - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]
- Jesus in the Talmud - Wikipedia - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]
- Learning From the Past: Reckless Jewish Kings Through the Ages - Algemeiner - July 14th, 2020 [July 14th, 2020]
- The Oral Law -Talmud & Mishna - Jewish Virtual Library - July 14th, 2020 [July 14th, 2020]
- The huppah - a beloved object of Jewish art - The Jerusalem Post - July 14th, 2020 [July 14th, 2020]
- Fast of the 17th of Tammuz: Times and customs - The Jerusalem Post - July 14th, 2020 [July 14th, 2020]
- Peter Beinart's one state solution sounds so perfect it's practically utopian - Haaretz - July 14th, 2020 [July 14th, 2020]
- No One Will Change Your Life Like a Teacher - Algemeiner - July 14th, 2020 [July 14th, 2020]
- 11 Thoughts and Sayings of Rav Simcha Zissel Ziv Broide the Alter of Kelm - Yeshiva World News - July 14th, 2020 [July 14th, 2020]
- Dozens of Jewish graves and tombstones desecrated in the Jewish cemetery in Worms, one of the oldest in Europe - European Jewish Press - July 14th, 2020 [July 14th, 2020]
- Death to Jews, swastikas drawn on gravestones in southern France - Forward - July 17th, 2020 [July 17th, 2020]
- Barbra Streisand classic Yentl returns to big screen at The Drive In - Jewish News - July 17th, 2020 [July 17th, 2020]
- Not all the statues need to come down - Forward - July 17th, 2020 [July 17th, 2020]
- Nick Cannon and several other Black celebrities attended Farrakhans July 4 speech - Forward - July 17th, 2020 [July 17th, 2020]
- Allford: Achoo! Sneezing through the centuries - The Kingston Whig-Standard - July 18th, 2020 [July 18th, 2020]
- Q & A: Making Up For What We Missed (Part XIII) - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - July 18th, 2020 [July 18th, 2020]
- The seed that is sown | Community And Lifestyles - atchisonglobenow.com - July 18th, 2020 [July 18th, 2020]
- The End of Anti-Semitism - Aish - July 18th, 2020 [July 18th, 2020]
- Eicha - the question that reverberates throughout history - The Jerusalem Post - July 18th, 2020 [July 18th, 2020]
- A Traditional Jewish Approach to the Problem of Evil - My Jewish Learning - July 19th, 2020 [July 19th, 2020]
- My article was controversial - and I talked to the haters - Forward - July 19th, 2020 [July 19th, 2020]
- Guestwords: Let There Be Laughter - East Hampton Star - July 19th, 2020 [July 19th, 2020]
- The Terrifying Feeling of Being Alone in the World - Aish - July 19th, 2020 [July 19th, 2020]
- Faith Leaders Demand Action From New York City's Mayor to Ensure Safe Reentry for Those Leaving Rikers Island During COVID-19 Pandemic - Press Release... - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Revision 1.13 The Mishnah and the Talmuds | Dan Peterson - Patheos - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- What's the truth behind wearing face masks? - The Jerusalem Post - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- 12 Facts Every Jew Should Know About the 9 Days - Chabad.org - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Musings of a rabbi in the period of pandemic - Jewish News - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- The Kingly Roots of Kitchri: Lentils With Love - Jewish Journal - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- We've got what it takes to endure these difficult days J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Learn About the Holy Temple in Depth - Texts and Classes Describing the Holy Temple - Chabad.org - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Nation of Islam posts Farrakhans call for Jews to ditch the Talmud & be saved amid Nick Cannon antisemitism debacle - RT - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Are Reports Of The Persecution Of Yemenite Jews Completely False? - Yeshiva World News - July 23rd, 2020 [July 23rd, 2020]
- There's space in the Jewish community for queer people. I just had to find it. - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - July 23rd, 2020 [July 23rd, 2020]
- Glimpsing The Beis HaMikdash - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - July 23rd, 2020 [July 23rd, 2020]
- Who Wrote the Bible? - History - July 23rd, 2020 [July 23rd, 2020]
- Judaism, baseball, and the drive for normal - The Jewish Standard - July 23rd, 2020 [July 23rd, 2020]
- Digital Archive Takes Talmudic Approach to Americas Founding Texts - Jewish Week - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- Hope is a power you don't have to relinquish - St. Louis Jewish Light - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- In the Talmud, God admits Hes wrong. Theres a lesson there about free speech. - Forward - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- The Pope who Printed the Talmud - Aish - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- Love, community, mysticism: The intrigue and observance of Tu B'Av - thejewishchronicle.net - July 29th, 2020 [July 29th, 2020]
- A burning house - A universal lesson | Shahar Azani | The Blogs - The Times of Israel - July 29th, 2020 [July 29th, 2020]
- Talmud's solution to the coronavirus dilemma: Save lives, or the economy? - Haaretz - July 29th, 2020 [July 29th, 2020]
- Talmud and Midrash | Judaism | Britannica - July 29th, 2020 [July 29th, 2020]
- What is the Talmud? Biblical Meaning & Definition - July 29th, 2020 [July 29th, 2020]
- Redeeming Relevance: When Moshe Threw a Book Across the Classroom - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - July 31st, 2020 [July 31st, 2020]
- One for Israel exposes abusive teachings of rabbis, explains that Jesus loves and esteems women [videos] - Patheos - July 31st, 2020 [July 31st, 2020]
- The indomitable spirit of the Jewish people - The story of Yavne - The Jerusalem Post - July 31st, 2020 [July 31st, 2020]
- Preparing for Tisha B'Av During a World Pandemic - A 25-hour period of fasting and reflection begins on Wednesday night, July 29 - Chabad.org - July 31st, 2020 [July 31st, 2020]
- Even More Harm Than We Think - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - August 4th, 2020 [August 4th, 2020]
- Listen: Longtom on electro-shock treatment for Great Whites; Chas Smith continues his outspoken advocacy for kicking dogs. You see a good thick dog,... - August 4th, 2020 [August 4th, 2020]
- The Real Reason the Beit HaMikdash Was Destroyed - The Jewish Voice - August 4th, 2020 [August 4th, 2020]
- Why Is the Ketubah Written in Aramaic? - Chabad.org - August 4th, 2020 [August 4th, 2020]
- In a pickle, Seth Rogen tells Haaretz what he really thinks about Israel and white supremacist Trump - Haaretz - August 6th, 2020 [August 6th, 2020]
- Remembering The Wall (Part II) - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - August 7th, 2020 [August 7th, 2020]
- Tales Told to Tevye - The New Yorker - August 7th, 2020 [August 7th, 2020]
- Parashat Ekev: A different kind of theology - The Jerusalem Post - August 7th, 2020 [August 7th, 2020]
- First lesbian woman to be appointed to Tel Aviv's religious council - The Jerusalem Post - August 7th, 2020 [August 7th, 2020]
- Our community together apart - The Australian Jewish News - August 7th, 2020 [August 7th, 2020]
- Tyranny, loss and leadership: What's on MIFF's menu - The Age - August 7th, 2020 [August 7th, 2020]
- Even though your heart may grow haughty - The Jewish Star - August 7th, 2020 [August 7th, 2020]
- Adin Steinsaltz, Groundbreaking Talmud Translator, Dies - The New York Times - August 8th, 2020 [August 8th, 2020]
- A Personal Relationship With God Is Reachable if We Believe in It - Algemeiner - August 10th, 2020 [August 10th, 2020]
- Berachos: The Key To Fearing Hashem - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - August 10th, 2020 [August 10th, 2020]
- Delaware to require teaching of the Holocaust, genocide - Forward - August 10th, 2020 [August 10th, 2020]
- Yeshiva Education - The Best of Both (OPINION) - BKLYNER - BKLYNER - August 10th, 2020 [August 10th, 2020]
- Cherish the Small Comforts that Bring Your Joy in an Unsettled World - Jewish Journal - August 10th, 2020 [August 10th, 2020]
- Mind Over Milkshakes - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - August 10th, 2020 [August 10th, 2020]
- The Survivors' Talmud: When the US Army Printed the Talmud - The Jewish Voice - August 10th, 2020 [August 10th, 2020]
- The Life and Legacy of Torah Scholar and Prolific Author Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz - Jewish Journal - August 10th, 2020 [August 10th, 2020]
- As The Night Gets Longer - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - August 10th, 2020 [August 10th, 2020]
- Running a Jewish day school just got a lot more expensive and parents shouldn't be the only ones paying the price. - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic... - August 17th, 2020 [August 17th, 2020]
- Heichal HaTorah Bais Medrash Enters Its Second Year with 40 Talmidim - Join us this Zman! - Yeshiva World News - August 17th, 2020 [August 17th, 2020]
- A sweet and sour history of Jews and pickles - The Jewish Star - August 17th, 2020 [August 17th, 2020]
- Holy Witnesses - Torah Insights - Parshah - Chabad.org - August 17th, 2020 [August 17th, 2020]
- End this year, with its curses! | Yaakov Jaffe | The Blogs - The Times of Israel - September 2nd, 2020 [September 2nd, 2020]