BREAKING OF THE GLASS

Ref. 1268

BIBLE READING: Proverbs 14:23

INTRODUCTION:

The primary reason for shattering the glass is that a person must always temper his joy in this world. Too much joy leads a person to forget God and neglect his spiritual responsibilities. It is thus written, “In all sadness there is reward” (Proverbs 14:23). Thus, in a time of joy, a person must do something to remind him of his fear of God, as it is said, “Serve God in awe, rejoice with trembling” (Psalms 2:11).

DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM

The glass is also broken to recall the destruction of Jerusalem and the Holy Temple. It is to remind people that there is still much sadness and heartbreak in the world.

COVENANT

At the great wedding (Covenant) between God and Israel, the Tablets were broken. The breaking of the glass recalls this tragedy.

In a sense, however the Tablets were destroyed instead of the Israelite nation. After they made the Golden Calf, the Israelites deserved to die, but Moses destroyed the Tablets in their place.

SUBSTITUTE

Similarly, the groom breaks a glass to give the Angle of Death his due, so to speak. If anything bad is supposed to happen to the bridal couple, the glass is broken in their place (a substitute).

MORTALITY - IMMORTALITY

The breaking of the glass also alludes to the breach which occurred right after the wedding of Adam and Eve, that is, the eating of the Tree of Knowledge. It was through that sin that death came to the world. The glass is broken to remind us that we are mortal, and will some day be shattered just like the glass. However humanity became mortal right after the wedding.

Furthermore, people must marry, and reproduce mainly because man is mortal.  Since man is mortal, he must reproduce his species. Since our mortality is the main reason for the wedding we recall it at the close of the ceremony by breaking the glass.

REFORMATION - GLASS REBLOWN

However the Midrash teaches that man is like glass, when glass is broken, it can be re-melted and re-blown. Similarly, when a man dies, his life is not over. We believe in the immortality of the soul and the resurrection of the dead; just as a glass can be restored, so can a person after he dies.

DIVINE PROMISE OF IMMORTALITY

This is why we break glass, as opposed to pottery (Clay-man). The breaking of glass recalls our mortality, but it also recalls the divine promise of immortality.

REPENTANCE

Another allusion to the breaking of the glass is that just as glass can be re-melted and restored, so can man, even after his soul has been shattered and blemished by sin. No matter what sins a person may have committed, if he repents, God forgives him. It is thus taught, “Nothing can stand up before repentance.” The bridal couple have all their sins forgiven on their wedding day, therefore, this is a particularly appropriate time to break the glass.  It indicates that no matter how broken they are spiritually, they can be restored just as the glass can.

GOOD - TOV

Another reason that a glass in particular is broken is because of the tradition that King Solomon built a special gate for bridegrooms. According to one tradition, this gate was made of glass. The glass is broken to recall that with the destruction of the Temple, the glass gate was also shattered.  When the glass is broken the people respond, Mazel Tov “good fortune” The band then strikes up the recessional.

Some say that the expression Mazal Tov is used at the end of a wedding because after Eve was made, Adam “named her Woman (Ishah) because she was taken from Man. Genesis 2:23. In the original Hebrew, the expression, “she was taken from man” is me-ish lukacha zoth, the initial letters of this phrase spell out mazal.

It is furthermore written, “He who finds a wife finds good” (tov) (Proverbs 18:22). The words are therefore combined into Mazal Tov.

According to Torah standards, it is in very bad taste for a bride and groom to kiss under the Chupah. It may be a gentile custom, but it has no place in a Jewish Wedding. Such a sign of intimacy is reserved for when the couple is alone together.

In many circles, immediately after the ceremony, people throng up to the Chupah for a few moments to wish the bride and groom mazal tov personally.

MESSIAH

One  traditional tune for the recessional is Va Yehi BeYeshurun Melekh - “And there was a king (the groom in Yeshurun (Israel), when the people were gathered - all tribes of Israel together” (Deuteronomy 33:5). The bride and groom exit at a lively pace, with men dancing either behind or around them.

This brings to mind the joy that will be when we rejoice with our Groom, the Lord Jesus Christ at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.