SOLDIER WEARING A SWORD AT WEDDING

QUESTION:

At a recent marriage a military officer was to be married in full dress uniform, which includes the wearing of a sword. Should this be permitted? (From Vigdor W. Kavaler, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.)

ANSWER:

THERE HAS been a wide variety of customs as to what was the proper garment for the groom to wear at his wedding. The Mishnah in Sotah IX: 14 speaks of the fact that both bride and groom wore a crown, but that this custom in time of persecution was abolished. Maharil, in the fourteenth century in Mainz, describes a wedding in detail and speaks of the groom wearing ashes on his head as a mark of mourning for Jerusalem, and also wearing the sargenes (i.e., the kittel). In fact it was the custom in Eastern Europe (a custom still followed by many Orthodox people) to consider the wed ding day, if not as actually a time of mourning, as at least a time of repentance. This is based upon the Talmudic idea ( j . Bikurim 65d and Isserles, Even Ha’ezer 61:1) that for the bride and groom the wedding day is a day of repentance like the Day of Atonement. Therefore, the bride and groom fast until the wedding cere-mony and, therefore, in Eastern Europe (according to some customs) the bride wore a shroud under her wed-ding gown and the groom wore a kittel, the white, shroudlike garment of Yom Kippur. A more general custom, widely observed, was for the groom to wear a talit, a custom generally based upon the juxtaposition of the verses in Scripture (Deut. 22:12,13) where the verse: “Thou shalt put fringes upon they garments,” comes right before the verse: “If a man taketh a woman to wife.” More romantically explained, the origin of the custom of the groom’s wearing a talit derives from the fact that the bride makes him a gift of his first talit (since unmarried men do not wear the full talit), and that the four sets of eight threads in the fringes total thirtytwo, which is the numerical equivalent of the Hebrew word lev, which means “heart.” However, practically speaking, the groom’s talit was an essential part of the wedding ceremony, since before the development of the chupah (canopy) in the late Middle Ages, the custom was (and is still the custom in parts of western Germany) that the groom, during the ceremony, spreads his talit over the head of the bride, thus symbolizing their seclusion and their unity. However, most of these customs of special wear for the groom and the bride are no longer practiced among some Orthodox Jews, and certainly not among non Orthodox Jews. Therefore we can say that there is no objection to whatever type of clothes or uniform the bridegroom wears.

Although this, in general, is the case, that in those marriages which are not strictly Orthodox a soldier may be married in his uniform, nevertheless there may be a specific objection to the wearing of a sword, since the sword does seem to symbolize a mood opposite to the mood of unity and love which should prevail at a wedding. Hence the question. Besides this feeling, the very fact that this question was asked is an indication that there is some recollection of some Jewish law that may be directly involved. It is this latter question which concerns us.

The Mishnah in Berachot XI:5 says that it is forbidden to enter the Temple Mount in Jerusalem carrying one’s moneybelt and one’s walking stick. But according to the Shulchan Aruch ( Orach Chayim 151:6) it is permitted to enter our synagogue (i.e., not the ancient Temple) with staff and money belt. But Joseph Caro adds that “Some say that it is forbidden to enter a synagogue with a long knife.” In his Bet Joseph, his commentary to the Tur, he gives the source of this individual opinion. It is taken from the Orchot Chayim (Aaron of Lunel) Vol. I, “Laws of the Synagogue,” #7, where this prohibition is mentioned in the name of Meir of Rothenburg. The reason given by Meir of Rothenburg as quoted by the Orchot Chayim is that the synagogue prolongs life and the “long knife” short-ens it. But this is an individual sentiment, not a law. The Tur does not mention it at all. Since it is not a fixed law, we have no right to promulgate it. It is a principle in Jewish law that one may not prohibit that which is permitted.

Moreover, besides its not being a law, when it is mentioned it is only with regard to entering the synagogue sanctuary. In other words, if the marriage did not take place in the sanctuary itself (say, in the rabbi’s study or in a hall) even this individual objection to a “long knife” would not apply.

To sum up: The custom of special garments of mourning to be worn by bride and groom has largely lapsed among most Jews. There is, therefore, no requirement as to the type of garments to be worn. As for the full military officer’s uniform which includes a sword, there is only one chance opinion that one should not enter the synagogue with a long knife. But that is not the law and, besides, it applies only to the sanctuary itself.

An analogous question was dealt with recently by Eliezar Wildenberg of Jerusalem in Volume X (#18) of his responsa series Tsits Eliezar. The responsum, of course, reflects the tense situation which prevails at present in Israel. He was answering the question as to whether an Israeli soldier may enter the synagogue with a rifle or a revolver. He calls attention to the fact that the origin of the law prohibiting entering the synagogue with weapons is to be found in Sanhedrin 82a (bottom of the page) which cites the text from Numbers 25:7 that Phineas “went forth out of the congregation and took the spear in his hand.” From which the Talmud concludes that one may not handle a spear except outside of the congregation or the synagogue.

Wildenberg suggests that it would be better if the bullets were taken out of the rifle or revolver so that while the soldier is in the synagogue these should cease to be lethal weapons. Or he suggests that they may be covered and that, perhaps, the revolver being enclosed in the holster, is not too objectionable. He adds, how-ever, that in time of danger when these men are actively protecting the community, none of the restrictions need apply.