What status does the brocha recited before the kiddushin have? There are various categories of brochos that we recite throughout the day and year. Some brochos are bircos hamitzvos, recited before performing a mitzvah, some brochos are bircos ha’shvach, praising Hashem for something that He does for us or His wonders in the world, and some brochos are recited before partaking of the pleasures of the world.
What status does the Bircas Eirusin have? To which of these categories does it belong? Indeed, all of these possibilities are correct, as there is an opinion that understands the brocha in each of these ways.
RAMBAM – BIRCAS HAMITZVAH
The Rambam (Ishus 1:1, 3:23) writes that kiddushin is a mitzvah, and the Bircas Eirusin is a bircas hamitzvah. The Sefer Hachinuch (Mitzvah 552) concurs with this opinion of the Rambam, as does the Rivash.
ROSH – BIRCAS HA’SHVACH
The Rosh (Kesuvos 1:12) starts off with the assumption that it is a bircas hamitzvah and raises four questions on this presumption:
- If it is a regular brocha on the mitzvah of getting married, why is it that we don’t use the same text as other bircos hamitzvos and not just the simple text “asher kidshanu b’mitzvosuv al ...”?
- Why do we add to the text of the brocha that it is forbidden to live with an arusa before the chupah takes place? We do not mention what is forbidden in regard to other mitzvos, such as shechitah (that we are forbidden to eat without shechitah), so why do we mention it here?
- Why is the topic of arayos, forbidden marriages, mentioned in the text of the brocha?
- If it is a brocha on the mitzvah of kiddushin, why is the chupah, which is not a part of the mitzvah, mentioned?
To answer these questions, the Rosh asserts that, in fact, there is no bircas hamitzvah on getting married, simply because it is not a mitzvah to get married, per se. Rather, there is a mitzvah to have children. The Rosh concludes that the brocha is actually a bircas ha’shvach, thanking Hashem for the opportunity to get married, and we mention the greatness of the Jewish marriage.
The Rosh continues that once we have this understanding of the brocha, that it is recited in order to praise Hashem and reflect on the greatness of a Jewish marriage, all of the questions are answered. We can now understand why the text of the brocha should include more than the actual kiddushin. Since this is a bircas ha’shvach about the greatness of the Jewish marriage, it is quite appropriate to mention who one may or may not marry and that the marriage is only completed with the chupah, and no one should mistakenly think that it is allowed earlier.
Tosfos in Pesachim (7a) seems to concur with this understanding that it is a bircas ha’shvach and compares it to the brocha of “lihachniso bivriso shel Avraham,” recited at a bris mila. This is quoted by the Taz (Y”D 1:16) in discussing the various types of brachos. The Taz, here in Even Ha’ezer (34:2), also quotes this explanation.
LEVUSH – BIRCAS HA’NEHENIN
The Levush (34:1) has a third perspective on the brocha: that it is a bircas ha’nehenin. Just as one must recite a brocha before partaking of the enjoyments of this world, so, too, one must recite a brocha before getting married, just like any other enjoyment. The same idea is written in the Ben Ish Chai (Parshas Shoftim, 1:2).
However, the Pri Megadim (pesicha to Brochos, Siman 14) rejects this explanation. He says that from the Rosh and the Rambam, who maintain that it is a bircas hamitzvah or a bircas ha’shvach, respectively, we see that they did not entertain the possibility that it should be considered a bircas ha’nehenin. Additionally, he asks that the rule of thumb is that a person cannot recite a bircas ha’nehenin for others if he himself is not partaking in the enjoyment. That being the case, if we were to consider it a bircas ha’nehenin, how could the mesader kiddushin recite the brocha?
SUMMARY
According to the Rambam, Bircas Eirusin is a bircas hamitzvos, a brocha recited before performing the mitzvah of getting married. According to the Rosh, the Bircas Eirusin is a bircas ha’shvach, a brocha recited to praise Hashem for a Jewish marriage. And according to the Levush, it is a bircas ha’nehenin recited before enjoying the pleasures of this world.
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