Copyright (C) 1988, the Inner Foundations Reprinted from Connections Magazine with permission Not for commercial redistribution without written consent of copyright holder and the Estate of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach Transcribed and edited by Emuna Witt in Honor of Her Brother Josh and his Kallah Rena and Every Chasan and Kallah. Why does the Bas Kol (voice from heaven) come to say who will who will marry whom forty days before the person is born? Why not at their Bat/Bar Mitzvah, or when they are born? The Ribbono Shel Olam (Master of the Universe) is the only mezaveg zeevugim (one who can match couples). So, the Bas Kol comes before any relatives or friends can say anything! Chasan (groom) and Kallah (bride), you must know that HaShem really put you together! You should be blessed to have a vision of what HaShem wants you to do in the world. You should always be clear that you are soul mates. How do you know if you love someone? If you have a hard time telling her anything bad. In her presence everything is so beautiful, so good. You know, the connection between Chasan and Kallah was created by G-d even before He created the world. And before He created the world He created Yerushalayim, and He stood in Yerushalayim and He created the world. And before G-d created the world, He built the Beis HaMikdash (Holy Temple). He stood on the Beis HaMikdash and He created the world. And before He created the world, He created children. So G-d stood in Yerushalayim, in the Beis HaMikdash, surrounded by children, and G-d created the world. It is a privilege to be getting married because you are tasting G-d's Oneness by loving another human being, by bringing children into the world. Is there a higher revelation than little children? The Chupah (marriage canopy) is like a roof. Walking around it seven times is building the walls of your home with holiness. Walking around seven times, the Kallah gives the Chasan so much strength, so that evil will not be able to reach him. Walking around seven times sanctifies your home so nothing unholy can enter. Avraham Aveinu, our father Abraham, taught us how to talk to each other and to G-d. His whole thing was bringing people close to G-d so he had to know how to communicate. May you be blessed to always be able to speak to each other. You should always know how to talk to your children and may your children always be able to tell their secrets to you. Who else shall they tell? So you should always share secrets which each other and your children. If people should come to you broken, you should be able to create their world again. You should be able to give them a new neshama (soul). When your children cry, take them under your tallis (prayer shawl) and pray with them, to give them strength forever. Chasan and Kallah, you are beginning a new life! It is impossible to see a Chasan and Kallah walking to the Chupah without doing complete Teshuvah (penance)! You only came down into the world to build your miniature Beis HaMikdash. Our covenant between G-d and all of Israel is the covenant between husband and wife which we share with our children. When you get married, you are privileged to the deepest secrets of the Torah, the secrets of being married. Halacha is how one walks with G-d, so it should be clear to you how exactly G-d wants you to walk with Him -- how to walk with your wife and with your children. When a man and woman come together, they form the Word of G-d's Holy Name Yud Kei Waw Kei. Yud Kei is Chasan. He is responsible for all holy thoughts in the marriage. Waw Kei is Kallah. She is responsible for all holy actions. When the Kallah holds out her finger to receive the ring, she forms the letter Waw and the five fingers are for the Kei. The Yud Kei is so holy because Yud is so small, but it is the Kallah which makes the Chasan big! When you believe in G-d nothing is impossible. What¹s too hard for G-d? When people love each other they are on the level of the impossible, because then you know that everything impossible can be possible! G-d putting two people together is totally on the level of the impossible! So the Kallah gives the Chasan a tallis which is the symbol of prayer. May you pray for the redemption of the world. May the gates be open for all your prayers. Because of one prayer, the world can be redeemed. One couple can bring Messiach. May you be that one couple!