NARR 357-359

CCAR RESPONSA

New American Reform Responsa

225. Decorations on a Ketubah

QUESTION: Are there any limitations on the decorations which may be placed upon a ketubah? A couple recently had a ketubah prepared with decorations which are almost pornographic. May this document be used for the wedding ceremony? (Martin Kaplan, San Mateo CA)ANSWER: A great deal has been written about the text of the ketubah and studies have indicated that the wording has changed through the ages (Mordechai Akiva Friedman Jewish Marriage in Palestine; J. Neubauer Geschichte des biblischtalmudischen Eheschliessungsrecht; Z. W. Falk Jewish Matrimonial Law in the Middle Ages pp 35 ff). Of course, in modern times this document has become a formalized statement which reflects little about the couple. In twentieth century America the Reform and Conservative groups have developed their own ketubot to reflect the specific needs of these groups. The decorations on a ketubah especially commissioned by the couple may reflect the thoughts and wishes of the couple. We should note that illuminated marriage documents have survived from the Middle Ages onward. The earliest is from Fostat, Egypt in the eleventh century, and only fragments survived. Among the others is one from Krems, Austria (1392), Ostiano, Italy (1612) and many from Persia (Franz Landsberger Illuminated Marriage Contracts; J. Gutmann Beauty in Holiness pp 370 ff). As one looks at these illuminations and decorations, one sees that they fall into two categories. A large number contain formalized decorations of plants, Biblical themes like the symbols of the twelve tribes of Israel, or the twelve signs of the Zodiac; they were only rarely personalized. A ketubah from Rome in 1818 showed a married couple walking hand in hand while others displayed semi-nude rather formalistic angels (Ferrara, 1719, Reggio, 1774, Bosetto, 1801). The last, in one of the signs of the Zodiac, showed a nude couple (Moses Gaster The Ketubah plate 5 ff). As we have looked at the evidence from the text themselves, we must also ask about the attitude of tradition toward such documents. Although the tradition was hardly puritanical and often dealt very forthright with sex and questions relating to it (L. M. Epstein Marriage Laws in the Bible and the Talmud), it did not do so in a way which could be considered as titillating or pornographic. The wedding ceremony and the accompanying festivities are joyous, but kept within limits of decency. Tradition has done its best to encourage restraint. The sheva berakhot recites during seven days of festivities again and again added an element of prayer to the festivities of those days. Whatever the couple did privately has always been considered their business and outside the purview of regulations (L. M. Epstein Sex Laws and Customs in Judaism). The public ceremony, however, is to be conducted in a decorous fashion with everyone sober and in the presence of the minyan (Shulhan Arukh Even Haezer 34.4; A. H. Freimann Seder Qidushin Venisuin p 16) as well as two witnesses (Shulhan Arukh Even Haezer 42.5). We would therefore indicate to the couple that whatever decorations they have at home is their business, but semi-pornography can not be permitted on the ketubah. The ketubah is a formal document signed by two witnesses which may be read at the wedding ceremony (Shulhan Arukh Even Haezer and Isserles 62.9). We should note that Maharil (Minhagei Maharil 64b) in the fourteenth century did not know the custom of publicly reading the ketubah. We can not permit the use of such a ketubah for a wedding.March 1990

If needed, please consult Abbreviations used in CCAR Responsa.