Overview of the Ketubah

The ketubah is the Jewish marriage contract.  The traditional text we are using is written in Aramaic, the vernacular of the Jewish people (and Jesus) over 2000 years ago.  This binding document details the groom’s obligations to the bride; he promises to “work for, honor, provide for, and support [the bride] in accordance with the practices of Jewish husbands…”  The ketubah also grants the bride several special privileges within the marriage.  One of its original purposes was to specify the amount of money she would recover from her husband’s estate in the event of his death, placing her ahead of other creditors in collecting debts and protecting her interests as a widow.

The Torah provides very little guidance with regard to the procedures of a marriage.  The method of finding a spouse, the form of the wedding ceremony, and the nature of the marital relationship are all explained in the Talmud.

Mishnah Kiddushin 1,1 specifies that a woman is “acquired” (i.e., to be a wife) in three ways:  through money, a contract, and sexual intercourse.  Ordinarily, all three of these conditions are satisfied, although only one is necessary to effect a binding marriage.

Acquisition by money is normally satisfied by the wedding ring.  It is important to note that although money is one way of “acquiring” a wife, the woman is not being bought and sold like a piece of property or a slave.  This is obvious from the fact that the amount of money involved is nominal (according to the Mishnah, a perutah, a copper coin of the lowest denomination, was sufficient).  In addition, if the woman were being purchased like a piece of property, it would be possible for the husband to resell her, and clearly it is not.  Rather, the wife’s acceptance of the money is a symbolic way of demonstrating her acceptance of the husband, just like acceptance of the contract or the sexual intercourse.

To satisfy the requirements of acquisition by money, the ring must belong to the groom.  It cannot be borrowed, although it can be a gift from a relative.  It must be given to the wife irrevocably.  In addition, the ring’s value must be known to the wife, so that there can be no claim that the husband deceived her into marrying by misleading her as to its value.

In all cases, the Talmud specifies that a woman can be acquired only with her consent, and not without it.  (Kiddushin 2a-b.)

As part of the wedding ceremony, the husband gives the wife a ketubah.  The word “Ketubah” comes from the root Kaf-Tav-Bet, meaning writing.  The ketubah is also called the marriage contract.  The ketubah spells out the husband’s obligations to the wife during marriage, conditions of inheritance upon his death, and obligations regarding the support of children of the marriage.  It also provides for the wife’s support in the event of divorce.  There are standard conditions; however, additional conditions can be included by mutual agreement.  Marriage agreements of this sort were commonplace in the ancient Semitic world.

The ketubah has much in common with prenuptial agreements, which are gaining popularity in the modern world.  Such agreements were historically disfavored, because it was believed that planning for divorce would encourage divorce, and that people who considered the possibility of divorce should not be marrying.  Although one rabbi in the Talmud expresses a similar opinion, the majority maintained that a ketubah discouraged divorce, by serving as a constant reminder of the husband’s substantial financial obligations if he divorced his wife.

The ketubah is often a beautiful work of calligraphy, framed and displayed in the home.

Source: Mechon Mamre

Ketubah Text

You can view the ketubah in the original Aramaic here.  Following is an English translation:

On the _______ day of the week, the _______ day of the month _______ in the year _______ since the creation of the world, according to the reckoning which we are accustomed to use here in _______ in_______ . Now _______ son of _______ of the family _______ said to _______ daughter of _______ of the family _______ : Be thou my wife according to the law of Moses and of Israel, and I will work for thee, honor, provide for and support thee in accordance with the practice of Jewish husbands, who work for their wives, honor, provide for and support them in truth. And I will set aside for thee as a _______ _______ silver zuz, which belong to thee according to Rabbinic law, and thy food, clothing and other necessary benefits which a husband is obligated to provide; and I will live with thee in accordance with the requirements prescribed for each husband.”

And _______ consented and became his wife. Her belongings that she brought from her family’s home, in silver, gold, valuables, clothing and household furnishings, all this _______ the said groom accepted in the sum of _____ silver pieces, adding from himself another _____ pieces, making a total of ___ hundred silver pieces. And thus said _______ the groom: “I take upon myself, and my heirs after me, the surety of this ketubah, of the dowry and of the additional sum, so that all this shall be paid from the best part of my property, real and personal, that I now possess or may hereafter acquire. All my property, even the mantle on my shoulders, shall be mortgaged for the security of this ketubah and of the dowry and of the addition made thereto, during my lifetime and after my lifetime from this day forever.”

And the surety for all the obligations of this ketubah, dowry and the additional sum has been assumed by _______ the groom, with the full obligation dictated by all documents of ketubot and additional sums due every daughter of Israel, executed in accordance with the enactment of our sages, of blessed memory. It is not to be regarded as an indecisive contractual obligation nor as a stereotyped form.

And we have completed the act of acquisition from _______ son of _______ the bridegroom, for _______ daughter of _______ this ____ , for all that which is stated and explained above, by an instrument legally fit to establish a transaction. And everything is valid and established.

Witness____________________________

Witness____________________________

Source: Peggy H. Davis Calligraphy, HebrewLettering.com