I would like to conclude this topic with something the Imrei Emes would say. In Parshas Ki Seitzei (24:5) the pasuk writes: נקי יהיה לביתו - “A husband should be free at home” (the mitzvah of shonah rishonah). The Imrei Emes would say, hinted at in the word נקי is the three things one needs to look for when looking for a shidduch: 1) נדן – dowry, 2) קרן – the attributes of the girl herself and 3) יחוס - lineage. The roshei teives of the above three things = נקי.
The Imrei Emes then adds: The numerical value of “nun” is 50, as when it comes to the נדן, the dowry, each side should give 50%. The numerical value of “kuf” is 100, as when it comes to the קרן, the girl herself (and the boy himself) each side must be a 100%. And finally the numerical value of “yud” is 10, as when it comes to יחוס, lineage, it’s enough 10%.
This is peshat in the pasuk: נקי יהיה לביתו, a Jewish house requires these three things.
