Describe the significant practice of marriage within Judaism, demonstrating how the practice expresses the beliefs of Judaism and analysing its significance for the individual and the community

What this dot point is asking

NESA wants you to describe ONE significant practice in the life of adherents, show how it expresses the beliefs of the tradition, and analyse its significance for the individual and the community. This page uses marriage. Treat Judaism accurately and respectfully: describe the practice, link it to core beliefs, and analyse its meaning for the couple and the community. This is the significant practice component of the Judaism depth study, examined in both Studies of Religion I and II.

The answer

What Jewish marriage is

Marriage (kiddushin, meaning sanctification) is a sacred and central practice in Judaism, regarded as the foundation of the family and of Jewish life. It is understood as a holy covenant between the partners, modelled on and echoing the covenant between God and the Jewish people, and it is the proper context for raising children in the tradition.

The elements of the wedding

• The ketubah. A marriage contract setting out the husband's obligations to his wife, read and witnessed; it expresses the seriousness and mutual responsibility of the union.
• The chuppah. The couple stand beneath a canopy, symbolising the home they will build together and God's presence over the marriage.
• The betrothal and the ring. The groom gives a ring and a declaration of consecration; in many ceremonies blessings over wine are recited.
• The seven blessings (Sheva Brachot). Blessings praising God as creator and rejoicing in the couple, linking the marriage to creation and the community.
• The breaking of the glass. The groom breaks a glass underfoot, recalling the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and the inclusion of sorrow even in joy.

How marriage expresses Jewish beliefs

• The covenant. As a sacred covenant between two people, marriage mirrors the covenant between God and the people of Israel, the central belief of Judaism.
• The sanctification of life. Kiddushin means sanctification: marriage makes ordinary life holy, expressing the call to sanctify daily living through the commandments.
• Continuity of the people. Marriage and family carry the covenant and the tradition to the next generation.
• Memory of the Temple. The breaking of the glass weaves the people's history and hope into the couple's joy.

Significance for the individual and the community

For the individuals, marriage sanctifies their union, establishes a Jewish home and offers companionship and the fulfilment of the commandment to build a family. For the community, every marriage strengthens the continuity of the Jewish people, transmits the covenant and tradition to the next generation, and is a communal celebration in which the wider community shares. The practice thus binds the personal joy of the couple to the ongoing life of the whole people.