As we once again are entering the “wedding season,” it would be appropriate to get a better understanding of some of the relevant laws pertaining to a Jewish wedding.
The brocha of borei pri hagafen over a cup of wine is recited twice under the chupa: the first is together with the brocha on the eirusin, and then again together with the other six brochos for the nisuuin, which altogether is seven brochos, known as the sheva brochos.
Who should be drinking that wine: the one who recites the brocha – in the case of the bircas eirusin, that would mean the mesader kiddushin, and in regards to the bircas hanisu’in, that would mean the one who recited the first of the sheva brochos – or will it suffice for the choson and kallah to drink, or maybe both need to partake from the wine?
We can get a better understanding of the halachic requirement of the wine from a case brought in the Shulchan Aruch, in which there is no wine available. The Shulchan Aruch discusses the halachah if there is no wine available, both in regards to the bircas eirusin and in regards to the bircas nisu’in. Interestingly enough, the Shulchan Aruch differentiates between the two.
In regards to bircas eirusin, the Shulchan Aruch (34:2) just states that if there is no wine available, it can be recited without the wine. However, in regards to bircas nisu’in, which the Shulchan Aruch calls bircas chasanim, the Shulchan Aruch (62:1) writes that if there is no wine available, one should take beer, which can sometimes qualify as a halachic substitute for wine (known as chamar medina).
It would seem from the change of wording that although, if necessary, the bircas eirusin can be recited without wine or a substitute, the bircas nisu’in must be recited on wine or a substitute. The Chelkas Mechokek (62:1) points out that this question is actually a machlokes between the Rishonim. The implication of the words of the Rambam (Ishus 10:1) is that if one has no wine, one can recite the brochos without the wine, and the Magid Mishna adds that this is quite evident. However, the Tur and the Rosh quote the opinion of Rav Nissim Gaon, who rules that the brocha recited on the wine is a prerequisite, and one must wait until wine is located.
However, the Chelkas Mechokek raises the question as to why this should be if there is no mention in the Gemara of such a requirement of reciting a brocha over a cup of wine – not in reference to the bircas eirusin or the bircas nisu’in. Even if we do have the custom to recite the brocha on wine, how could it be an absolute requirement?
The Beis Shmuel (62:2), on the other hand, rules that, although it is not an absolute requirement for the bircas eirusin, for the bircas nisu’in it is. He explains that since we are required to recite sheva brochos, all seven brochos – borei pri hagafen included – are obligatory.
IN SUMMARY
In regards to the bircas erusin, all agree that the ceremonial brocha on wine is not obligatory and can be skipped. For the bircas nisu’in, we have a machlokes in the poskim whether reciting the brocha on wine for the bircas nisu’in is an absolute requirement.
RABBI NACHUM SCHEINER
