13. Someone came to Reb Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt’l and said, “My daughter was recently engaged to get married. But I discovered that when the boy was a child, he was ill with a serious disease.”
“So, what’s your question?” Reb Shlomo Zalman asked. “Do you want to break off the shidduch because of that?”
“No. The doctors say that most probably, the illness won’t return.”
“So, what’s your question?”
“It’s regarding money. I promised a lot of money to the couple. Had I known the boy had an illness that may return, I wouldn’t have promised so much.”
Uncharacteristically, Reb Shlomo Zalman grabbed a broom and told the man, “Get out of my house! Get out of my house!” Reb Shlomo Zalman, with his correct perception of right and wrong, couldn’t bear this person’s crookedness.
Shulchan Aruch and the Chazon Ish on Dowry Promises
14. A chasan told the Chazon Ish zt’l, “My future father-in-law promised me a large dowry, but now he’s going through a financial crisis, and he is having trouble keeping his promise. However, I can do something that will force my father-in-law to keep his word and give me what he promised. Should I take advantage of this opportunity?”
The Chazon Ish told him to refer to Shulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer 2:1), which states, “If a lot of money was promised for your wedding, and then your future in-laws back down, don’t cause your fiancé to wait like an agunah because of that. Don’t fight over the money. If you will, you won’t succeed, and the marriage won’t work out well... Rather, whatever your future in-laws give you, accept with a good eye, ,יצלח ואז and then you will succeed.”
The Chazon Ish told him, “If you force your father-in-law to pay what he promised, you won’t succeed. Somewhere, somehow, you will lose the money. But if you won’t make an issue about the money, Shulchan Aruch promises, ,יצלח ואז you will succeed. And the Shulchan Aruch’s brachah will certainly materialize.”
