;.cR. Shlomo/Weddings/3ming/Emunah Witt intro/= intro2 + me
;.l1,6,60,66,1,0,10,75,192,2,15,20,25,127,10,0,
=sh3w2ein
R. Shlomo
Weddings, 
3rd ming
2nd doc in wedding sequence
Emunah Witt introduction
11/08/94
Contents:  = me  + =intro2
No edit by sa.

INTRODUCTION BY Rtzen. Emunah Witt 
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	Reb Shlomo makes a wedding beautiful spiritually anduplifting for everyone present.  From beginning all through untilthe end, every few minutes the melodies are sung and heard.  Thepeople swaying back and forth to the most sweet soft majestic,deep music.  Ancient and yet absolutely new-age.  To warm up theatmosphere and the people, at the beginning Reb shlomo alwaysstarts by singing and also all the way through.  At perhaps mostof the weddings where Reb Shlomo performs, he composes at leastone new melody, if not more.  And only G-d, knows the hundreds ofmelodies floating around in his heads at those awesome moments. Reb Shlomo has taught us the depth of the wedding ceremony, morethan any other rabbi or teacher ever. Many of his stories andteachings, along with all of the blessings and prayers are chantedin the most beautiful way by the master Hazan, RebShlomo.**************** 

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            Introduction to Reb Shlomo's Wedding Book

     	Now listen to this. We were learning it a thousandtimes, Adam was driven out from Paradise, not because he ate thewrong apple.  You eat alot of wrong apples in your life.  Adam andEve were driven out from Paradise because they said bad thingsabout each other. G-d says to Adam, "What did you do?"  He said,"Eve did it."  Is that how much you love your wife??  G-d says,"What!? You're saying bad things about your wife!?"  So Eve shouldhave just said, "You know it's all my fault."  She didn't sayanything.  She thought that if G-d knocks off Adam, what could shedo?  So then G-d says to Eve, "What did you do?"  So she says,"Oh, the snake."  G-d says, "Gevaldt, I can't deal with either ofyou...."

	Dearest Reader!  These are Torahs from our beloved Rebbe andteacher.  It has been a dream of many to be able to gather RebShlomo's teachings and share them with the world.  We have begunby compiling weddings that Reb Shlomo has performed with the hopethat these many blessings will open gates for all of us.  What theworld needs most is Shalom Bayis, peace in the home.  Eachhousehold is a miniature Holy Temple and if only there were peacein each home, there would be peace in the world. We have to do thefixing of Adam and Eve. We have to fix the relationship betweenhusband and wife.  If there would be real peace between husbandand wife, between parent and child, the world would for sure beready for the Meshiach to come!  It is our sincere prayer that thecontents of this book will be a guide for all of us.  And evenmore, these Torahs should only give us strength and hope.  We areall in the world to fix our neshamas, our souls, with the help ofour soulmate.  May G-d bless all those who have not yet foundtheir soulmate.  We invite you to each of these weddings; may theblessings be real for all of us!   Most of Reb Shlomo's  teachingsconnect our home, the miniature Holy Temple, to the Holy Temple ofAbove.  When we fix our relationships, we bring the Meshiach andthe Holy Temple of Above that much closer.  May the Temple berebuilt and may all of mankind live in peace.  May each of usconnect to these teachings and may our lives be enriched andblessed.
                        

YAAKOV AVINU SEES THE DESTRUCTION OF THE HOLY TEMPLE
	I want you to know something.  Yaakov meets Rochel and he wascrying.  Rashi says, "Why was he crying?"   Because he saw thatRochel would not be buried next to him.  So the deepest questionis, you know, you meet your soulmate and you're already thinkingif she'll be buried next to you?  So I want to share with you thisTorah.  Yaakov Avinu saw why the Holy Temple was destroyed.Because we don't love each other.  Until you love one person, youdon't know what loving is.  You know what loving is?  So somepeople don't love each other, what can you do?  But when G-d givesyou a taste of love, when someone tells you there are people whodon't love each other, gevaldt!  Are you crying!  Gevaldt, are youcrying!! 
		You see when someone tells me, ten million people aredying from hunger, I understand, because I eat and they havenothing to eat.  I understand it.  But if someone tells me thatten million don't love.... So when Zeidie Yaakov suddenly seesthat the Holy Temple will be destroyed because people don't loveeach other, at that moment he began crying.  You mean to say therewill be a whole generation that doesn't know what it is to lovesomebody?
	  And I have to go one step further.  This is very deep in myheart and I'm sure you know it.  You know when people hate eachother?  The problem is that there is not one person they reallylove.  Because if there is one person you really love, you can'thate anymore. 
     	And I want you to know that I only have one heart and Ineed every bit, every ounce of my heart to love.  I have nothingleft in my heart to hate with.  So until Yaakov met Rochel, hethought, OK, you love somebody and there's a little space left forhate.  Suddenly he met Rochel and he realized that when you lovesomeone, it's with every little inch of your heart.  All thosepeople who hate never tasted that.  They never tasted what itmeans to love their soulmate.
                    

WHO IS MY SOULMATE?
	Again, in Reb Shlomo's words, who is my soulmate?  Mysoulmate is somebody I cannot live without... How do I know when I meet my soulmate?  My soulmate, when I look at her, I know her fortwo thousand years.  In fact, I can't even imagine that there wasa time that I didn't know her.  She was already written on myheart.  I want you to know something most awesome.  I can pray fora bagel.  But I know where I can get a bagel.  Let me ask you, ifsomeone is looking for their soulmate, do you know where they are? My soulmate could be in Alaska, could be in China, could be inIndia, could be in Ethiopa.  I don't know.  Do you know what thegreatest miracle in the world is?  The way G-d puts peopletogether.  So here I want you to know the deepest thing.  Why isit that sometimes we meet our soulmate and we are not junping intoit right away.  I have to examine it first, ask my therapist, andask everyone.  Have you ever seen those people, when they meettheir soulmate, they have to ask every cow and ox they meet on thestreet.  Should I marry her, should I not, what do you think? Have you ever seen those people?  
  
	Do you know what the problem is?  We think we met by chance. I don't really believe that I met this person because of myprayers.  How is it possible that I am here in New York and I prayso hard that this girl from Alaska is coming down to New York, andI meet her on the street.  By chance, right.  You know if youbelieve in miracles, if you know the way  G-d is leading you, it'sbeyond, beyond, beyond.  What's the problem?  G-d puts her infront of you!
                    
CROSSING THE RED SEA                                           
	And you know what all the Rebbes say?  To find your soulmateis like crossing the Red Sea.  It has millions of meanings. Because before you find your soulmate, you think to yourself thatthere is no way of finding my soulmate, because all the people Imet don't fit....Misfits, they are all over the place, right.  Onone side are Egyptians, one side the Sea, one side the animals...You think, "Oy vey, Ribbono Shel Olam, Master of the World, yousent me down at the wrong time, right?"    Then suddenly G-d opensgates... You know what's happening in the world?  G-d is takingthe whole thing in His Hands.                        
	
	If your really love somebody, are you ready to change forthat person, even for just a moment?  The Gemora says that findingyour soulmate is like crossing the Red Sea... Everybody asks, whydoes G-d call out, forty days before a person is born, who hissoulmate is?  Because for two people to find each other and livetogether, everybody living on their own schedule all the time,they will never make it.  I am I and you are you.  Unless they arelike the the Red Sea.  When  G-d created the Red Sea, at thattime, He put the condition in, that there will come a moment thatit will have to stop being a sea and become dry land.  This is aheavenly power.  You cannot do it after you have been created.  Itmust come from before, because change is the hardest thing in thewhole world.  That kind of change is not from this world.  It's asdeep as when G-d created the world.  Therefore, when a person isborn, a condition is already made that you will marry thisChanale, but for this Chanale, I want you to change a thousandtimes.
	When they call out in heaven, forty days before a person isborn, the male and female souls say, "Can you show me the otherone?"  They are shown the pure souls.  Then in this world, theydon't recognize each other.  They say, "This is not my Yankele! This is not my Chanale!"                                 
	G-d makes us love each other so much that behind all thebrokenness, behind all that we go through, we recognize eachother.  We see how beautiful we are.  A miracle!
	Let's go one step deeper.  Why does the Torah say that theRed Sea went back to its original condition?  What happens to youif you refuse to change?  You know what happens to you?  You mightsay, "At least I am what I am."  But really you are nothing.  Youknow what the Torah says?  When was the Red Sea really a sea? After it was ready to change.  When are you really what you are? Only if you can be anything for somebody you love.  When the seareturned to its original condition, suddenly it was really a sea,a real sea.  Now its water was really water.  When Mashiach iscoming, "Kamayim l'yam michasim" (as water covers the sea), thewaters of the Red Sea, such deep waters, are waters that are readyto change to save people's lives. 

	The Gemora says that finding your soulmate is like crossingthe Red Sea, because to find your soulmate, means to havechildren, and you cannot have children unless you are ready toturn over a thousand times for them.  For my children, there isnothing in the world I will not do.  I'll be water, I'll be dryland, I'll be anything.+
 
THE TANNAYIM (the ENGAGEMENT)
	And just a little on the Tannayim.  My beautiful friends, bythe chupah when you write the Kesuba, the marriage contract, it isbetween the bride and the groom.  The Tannayim, the engagement, isnot between the bride and the groom.  It's between the people whoare standing behind the groom, and between the people who arestanding behind the bride.  This is awesome.  You know the weddingis mamash taking place in this world.  It's a legal matter.  Webless you that it should last forever but the engagement is not alegal matter.  Other couples get engaged, not you, G-d forbid, andthe next day they call each other up and say,  "You know, I'msorry, forget it.  No hard feelings."  And it's over, right.  Butdo you know what the Tannayim is?  It's not in this world, it'snot in this world.  And do you know what it is?  The Tannayimbegin up there and then it comes down.  And the wedding is when itis coming down.  So the Tannayim is that both of your neshamas areup there, so people have to take care of you in this world.   
	So I want you to know, do you know what the saddest thing inthe world is?  The saddest thing in the world is when people getmarried and they stop being engaged.  That means they're just downhere and they lose this contact from up there.  So I bless youthat your wedding should last forever.  But above all I bless youmamash that your engagement should mamash be forever.   
	You know what G-d is doing for you?  G-d is turning the clockback and it's like forty days before you were born.  And they callout that this one should marry this one.... Why does it have to becalled out in heaven?  Because to put two people together is notin this world.  It's heavenly.  OK, to put two people togetherwhen they are already in this world, it's a little bit heavenly. But can you imagine the way G-d puts you together before you wereborn.  So right now we are turning the clock back and bless youthat G-d should shine into you!
    
	And I want you to know something else.  The Heilage Rizhinersays that before they call out who should marry whom, it's notjust two angels that get up and say, "This one is a good shidduch(match) for this one."  They go through all the men and womenliving at this time and age.  You know, in heaven it doesn't takethat long.  They have a holy computer in heaven.  They lookthrough all the eligible possibilities.  And then the Rizhinersays there is a whole community of angels, experts on marriagecounseling and the angels, with the deepest prophecy look downinto the hearts and they know that you two are the best.  Not sosimple.                                                            
	Why does the Bas Kol, the Heavenly Voice, come to say whowill marry who, forty days before the person is born?  Why notwhen they are born or at their Bar/Bat Mitsvah?  The Master of theUniverse is the only "Mizaveg Zeevugim" (one who can matchcouples).  So the Bas Kol comes before any relatives or friendscan say anything!  

	I want to taste Mashiach, I want a taste already.  I want itright now.  WHat's Tannayim?  Wait until you get married.  Why areyou writing papers now?  I can't wait.  I want to taste italready, a little bit.  Just a little bit before.
  
THE TIME OF THE WEDDING
	You are not supposed to say exactly when you are gettingmarried.  "B'sha-ah tova oo-mitslachas" (In a good and successfulhour)  At the right moment.  And you know what the Rizhiner said? Not only do they call out in heaven whom you should marry, butthey even call out the moment and the place and they also call outall the wedding guests!                                        
          V'al yivrichoo v'alyaleemu, lo zeh me zu v'lo mezu mezeh  You know what it means? You swear to each other that you'll never run away from each otherand you'll never ignore each other.  You know running away is onething, but ignoring is the worst. You know, when you run away,that means you exist, but I'm running away from you.  To ignoremeans that you don't exist in my book.  And you know when youdon't exist in the book of somebody that you love so much, gevaldtdoes this hurt.  You see what it is, the Tannayim is not onlybetween bride and groom.  It's also between us and G-d.  And youknow sometimes it looks like G-d is running away from us.  But thesaddest thing in the world is when G-d is ignoring us.  I want tobless you and all of Israel and mamash in heavenly heavens, thereshould never be again a period when Yidden think G-d forbid, G-dis ignoring us. 

BEING CLOSE/HEARING 
	What's the highest level a person can reach?  Sometimes youhear a person laughing and it sounds like laughter, but if youhave really good ears, you know it's crying.  You listen to ahurricane and it sounds like the wind is angry, but if you havereally good ears, you know that the wind is searching for sometingand is so desperate.  A wedding can be a strange thing; if youdon't have good ears, the whole thing sounds shallow.  Most peopledon't hear what's going on at a wedding.  The holy bride walkedin... she didn't say anything.  The holy groom walked in... hedidn't say anything.  That's only if you don't have good ears.  Ifyou have good ears, then you could hear not only what the holybride is crying now, but you could hear her cries from the veryfirst cry on, and the same with the chasan.  When they walk to thewedding, they don't begin from a little room down the hall, butfrom their very first second to this minute was one long journeyto the chupah.  May each couple be blessed with friends that hearthem in a very deep way, and G-d should bless them with childrenwho also hear, and they should grow in a world that hears!
	Reb Nachman says that people come to a wedding and then theywalk out.  One says, "It was a beautiful wedding, I like thefood."  Another says, "I liked the music."  Another says, "I metalot of good friends there."  They weren't really at the wedding. Then someone says, "Baruch Hashem, thank G-d, those two gottogether!"  He was at the wedding.
 
	Do you know, you have to be very close to a person to hearwhat they are saying.  But do you know how close you have to be toa person to hear that which is beyond what they're saying?  Youknow sometimes a person can walk up to you and say, "Listen, I'mreally angry at you."  And what they are really telling you, "Ilove you so much, I wish you would pay more attention to me", orsomething like that... I'm making it very simple but it's so muchdeeper than that.  
	The Baal Shem Tov says, imagine if someone is sick and youwould absolutely pray for him non-stop, this person couldn't die.Because prayer has strength.  This is what Erets Yisrael is allabout.  This is what the Holy Temple is all about.  Imagine I lovethis girl very much.  I knock on the door and she yells frombehind the door, "Get away, I don't want to see anyone."  If Idon't love her that much, then I say, "Hey, you don't want to seeme?  OK.  I'll go out with someone else."  I want you to open yourhearts.  If I love her the most, I put my ear very close to thedoor, and I can hear she's crying on the other side.  You knowwhen G-d drove us out of the Holy Land?  Do you know what washappening?  G-d says, "Get out of my Holy Land."  But we couldhear G-d crying on the other side.  

WHEN YOU LOVE SOMEONE THE MOST
	The deepest question in the world is when you love someone,how much do you think of them when they are not in front of you? When I see someone and I like them very much, they are standing infront of me, sure I love them, why not?  But I never think of themwhen they are not around.  If you don't think of them when theyare not there, then you don't really love them.  One step further.Even deeper than the question how much are you thinking of themwhen you are not with them, but how much are you talking to themwhen you are not there?
	I want to go one step further.  Why is it that the holy bridedoesn't say a word under the chupah?  You know what the chasan(the groom) is telling her?  I hear you even when you don't talk. Even when you are not around.  Can you hear me talking to you?  Ican hear you talking to me.  	
    	And here I want you to know something awesome.  You know whenI love somebody very much, but my whole connection is only when Isee them.  When something happens and I don't see them anymore, Idon't cry so much.  It's over, forget it.  When can't I stopcrying?  When I love someone the most.  I even talk to them whenthey are not around. I talk to the Bais HaMikdash, I talk toYerushalayim.  What's so special about the Holy Wall?  The HolyWall is mamash G-d's tape, to pick up all those words that we aretalking to the Holy Temple.  And I can't stop crying.  The eyeshave two functions.  The eyes see what there is.  Reb LeibalaEigar says that the eyes not only sees what is, but also what willbe. The eyes can see the Holy Wall, and not just see the brokenstones, but can see the Temple rebuilt! 
	
	The Ishbitser says that first there's hearing which is fromthe outside.  Then there's hearing which is deeper.  Do you knowwhat is even deeper?  The seeing after that kind of hearing.  If Ilove someone so much, I can hear what they are telling me when I'mnot around.  And I'm talking to them all the time.  And I'm seeingwith different eyes.   
	What's the destruction of Paradise?  When you don't hearanymore when someone is telling you how much they love you.  Theend of the world!

	You must know that Hashem really puts bride and groomtogether.  You should be blessed to have a vision of what Hashemwants you to do in the world.  You have to be clear always thatyou are soulmates.  How do you know if you love someone?  If youhave a hard time saying anything bad in their presence.  Becausein a real soul mate's presence, everything is so good, everythingis so beautiful.           

ON THE FIFTEENTH OF AV
	 On Chamisha Aser B'Av, (Six days after Tisha B'Av), I walkdown the street, I see my soulmate and I walk up to her and I say,"I want to marry you."  And without Tisha B'Av, it takes so long. I kvetch, then she kvetches, and still we don't know.  Then we goto a marriage counselor and somehow make it to the chupah andstill, five minutes before the chupah, we are not sure that we aredoing the right thing.  What's going on here.  Remember, ChamishaAsar B'Av, in the time of the Holy Temple, the girls would danceon the streets of Yerushalayim. I'd see my soulmate dancing, andI'd go up to her and I'd say, "I want to marry you."  And we'djust get married the same night.  There would be no problems.  Whyis that?  What was so special?  Because today, until we lovesomebody and until we get so close that I could hear them, whatthey are telling me when I'm not around, it takes so long.  AfterTisha B'Av, when I see the Temple was destroyed... Do you knowwhat it means to hate someone?  They never heard what they say toG-d when they are not around.  
	After I fix this hearing, I can walk up to a girl and I cansay to her, "Do you know that I was talking to you my whole life? Even before I met you."  And she says back to me, quickly, "Didyou hear me talking to you my whole life?"  How could I waitanother minute.  How could I wait, right?? 
	V'kal ayin licha titsapeh l'yishua. "And each eye is waiting,awaiting for salvation".  Did you see the eyes of a person who istalking to his soulmate?  Deepest eyes, right? 

LONELINESS
   	You know when I walk on the streets of Yerushalayim and I seemy soulmate is dancing on the streets, I'm not telling her, youknow, let's go out next week and let's hang around for five yearsand then I'll marry you.  It can't wait.  I'm marrying youtonight.  I want to take away your lonliness.
	Why are we not in tune with lonliness?  Because we are solonely, we cannot imagine there is a possibility of not beinglonely. You know why we don't even know what it is not to belonely?  Because we have never tasted yet how it would feel if theBais HaMikdash would be rebuilt.  Because when Meshiach iscoming... suddenly people won't be lonely anymore and G-d won't belonely.
	I want you to know, without the Bais HaMikdash, we are lonelyand the world is lonely.  The world is so lonely.  And here I wantto share with you the most deepest thing in the world.  How do Iknow who is ny soulmate?  My real soulmate?  My soulmate issomebody in whose presence I'm not lonely.  It's not so simple.  Ihate to say bad things, most probably it would cut off ninety percent of all marriages.  Not that they are incapable, but theydon't even know how to do it.  So five days after Tisha B'Av, whenG-d is opening all the gates, and I realize that the Churban BaisHaMikdash (the desruction of Holy Temple) is lonliness, then Imeet my soulmate.  Loneliness is so dangerous that it needs FirstAid.  It cannot wait.   		
	      

EXILE
	Do you know what it is to be in exile?  I can have anunbelievable relationship with a person.  I can ask him anythingin the world.  Beyond everything.  So that relationship is likethe Holy Temple.  But when there are limits, I can ask for just somuch.  It's sweet, but it's not the Holy Temple.                                          
A JOKE
	Listen to this friends.  Imagine, when so people getdivorced, without saying anything bad...after they are married orbefore?  You know someone told me he wants to get divorced firstand then married, why should I ruin it after?!  OK, it's a joke. But you know what it is?  What's marriage?  Marriage is connectingyour outside to the inside.  Inside is OK, inside I can connect. The outside, day to day life.  Washing Negel Vasser and brushingyour teeth, that's the outside.  To connect your outside to theinside.... 

THE CHUPAH
	The Chupah, the marriage canopy is a roof.  Walking around itseven times is building the walls of your home with holiness. Walking around seven times, the Bride gives her husband so muchstrength, so that evil, G-d forbid, will never be able to reachhim.  Walking around seven times sanctifies your home so nothingunholy can ever enter. 

BLESSINGS
	Blessing you that you should be so married that there's notone billionthel empty space left in your heart... You should livewith Shalom and Shalva.  Do you know what Shalom is?  Peace.  Doyou know what Shalva is?  Chevre, I can't even tell you howimportant this is.  Imagine if every five minutes you have to sitthere and say,  "I hope he's not exploding in five minutes fromnow..."  I mean even if he doesn't, but I don't know what'shappening in five minutes..That's the end.  I'm blessing everyone,because this is one of the highest blessings that many couplesneed today.  Shalom means peace and Shalva means tranquility.  Idon't have to worry.  You know every morning, a husband and wifewake up and they don't know if they are married or not...chasv'shalom.  It could drive you crazy.  Blessing all of Israel thathusband and wife should always live peacefully amd in utmosttranquility.  They shouldn't have to worry about their marriage. They should know!  
                                                                                                                 
G-D CAN'T DO WITHOUT YOU
	Parents who tell their children, G-d forbid, that they can dowithout them, when the child grows up, he thinks that G-d can alsodo without him.  Or the world could do without him.  It has to beclear to you that G-d can't do without you!! It's the highestteaching in the world to tell your children that you can't dowithout them and G-d can't do without them!  And for husband andwife to tell each other that they can't do without each other!

THE CREATION OF THE WORLD/CHILDREN
	The connection between Chasan and Kallah was created by G-deven before He created the world.  And before He created theworld, He created Yerushalayim.   He stood in Yerushalayim andcreated the world.  And before G-d created the world, he built theBais HaMikdash.  He stood in the Bais HaMikdash and created theworld.  And before He created the world, He created children.  SoG-d stood in Yerushalayim, in the Holy Temple, surrounded bychildren.  Your children surround you under the chupah! 

	It is a privilege to get married because you are tastingGod's Oneness by loving another human being, by bringing littlechildren into the world.  Is there a higher revelation than littlechildren?

ADAM AND CHAVA
	Again, speaking about Adam and Chava, when was the downfallof the world?  G-d asked Adam,  "Why did you eat the fruit?" andhe answered, "It is Chava's fault."  Is this how he loved hiswife?  He should have said, "It's all my fault."  He should havecovered up for her.  When you love someone, you cover for them. We were driven out from Paradise because Chava should have jumpedup and said, "I'm sorry, it's all my fault.  And Adam should havesaid, "I'm sorry, it's all my fault.  I should have explainedthings better."   Why is speaking evil such a sin?  According tothe Tree of Knowledge, there is no such thing as covering forsomeone.  If you saw somebody do something wrong, why not tell? You are telling the truth.  The moment Adam and Chava ate from theTree of Knowledge, they didn't cover for each other.  

COVERING THE FACE OF THE BRIDE  
	What is the first sign of people loving each other?  Theycover for each other.  A house is a cover.  Loving somebody is acover.  The beginning of the chupah, of a marriage, is that thehusband covers the face of the bride.  He is telling her, "I won'tbe like Adam who said, "Chava did it."  I'll cover for you.  
	We have a Gemora on almost everything.  But, we have nomasechta (chapter in the Gemora) for loving each other, nor nonefor doing tshuva.  Why not?  Because this is the Torah of theTorah of Mashiach, the Torah of the Third Temple, the Torah ofAharon HaCohen, of covering for each other.
	How does Aharon cure the one who speaks evil?  Aharon comesand says, "It's all my fault."  The person who speaks evil canonly be cured when it is clear to him that there is only one wayto live in the world- to cover for each other.  

	The husband covers the face of the bride.  The kallah giveshim back a tallis.  He covers her eyes; she gives him back atallis which covers all of him.

	Yehuda left Tamar with a sign.  The Holy Zohar says that heleft her with his tallis and tefillin.  The tallis is the ultimatecovering.  This was the beginning of bringing Mashiach.  She wassaying, you have to cover for me.
	Everybody knows that Boaz was the neshama (soul) of Yehudaand Ruth was the neshama of Tamar.  When Ruth said, "And you willspread your wings over your servant", she brought back the talliswhich Yehuda gave to Tamar and she said, "Now, put it over me."
	
	The beginning is covering the face of the bride.  What doesit mean, covering the face of the bride?  I don't see you, right? I want you to know, I'm thinking of you even when I don't see you. If you love someone very much, you think of them when they are notthere.
 
	You are not permitted to marry a woman unless you see her, sonow you cover her?   Everyone is asking!  I don't want to beconnected to you below, I want to be connected to you above.  Whatis it to be in exile?  Exile is when "Yerushalayim shel Matah" isnot connected to "Yerushalayim shel Ma'alah".  The Jerusalem Belowis not connected to the Jerusalem Above."  To be in exile meansthat my life is not connected to my neshama.  When you cover theface of the bride, you are connecting the Above and the Below...

	When you do something behind a curtain, nobody knows what youare doing.  When the chasan covers the face of the bride, he'stelling her, if even the front door is locked, please find theback door.
	Each of us needs alot of back doors.  The front I can't see. Please, Ribbono Shel Olam, open up all the back doors.                                                
	You know why the groom covers the face of the bride?  BecauseEliyahu HaNavi is coming.  At that moment that the groom coversthe face of the bride, Eliyahu HaNavi comes and reveals himself to the bride and he blesses her.  

	The covering of the bride's face is with the left hand.  Ilet you know that I won't ever judge you.  I never look at you andjudge you.  I just love you.  Whatever you are, I love you somuch.  So it has to be done with the left hand.  The left handdoesn't know anything.  The left hand is connected to "Yudsh'b'chochmah", to the deepest, most heavenly thing in the world.
  
	If people only know each other by what they see, then thereis no connection between them.  If they see about each other allthe things that nobody else sees, that means they really love eachother; the Almighty put them together.  When the chasan covers thebride with the veil, he tells her and he tells the world, "I haveseen in my kallah things which no one else has seen."  
	G-d doesn't only put people together in this world, they havebeen put together before they were born.  So the chasan is tellinghis kallah, "Believe me, I remember, I remember a long time agowhen we were not seen in this world yet, when the Almighty put ustogether."  The holiness of a wedding is that they do it of theirown free will, their own free choice, but after their free choice,they realize they had no free choice, because G-d had put themtogether all the time.
	When we do something, we are doing it and then it is over anddone, but when G-d is doing something, it is there all the time. The truth is that at the moment of the wedding G-d is putting thechasan and kallah together like He never did in Heaven, becausethis world is much deeper than Heaven.  Heaven is only what G-d isdoing, but this world is us and G-d, and two are always stronger. When the chasan covers the kallah, from that moment on G-d isputting then together in such a high place that nobody has everseen it, nobody knows, not even the prophets, not even ourpatriarchs, just the two of them alone with G-d.  
	In Hebrew, panim-face, and p'nim-inside, are the same thing. We want the chasan and kallah to be one, inside and outside, fromall four sides.

	People get married to bring children into the world.  Whenthe chasan covers the face of the kallah, he knows that childrenare coming from such a high place where nobody can see, nobody canlook, only G-d in Heaven can know.  According to our tradition,that very split second of covering the kallah's face is the momentwhen they should pray that their children come from the holiestplace in the world.  

	The first relationship between people is hiding.  Secrets,secrets.  Do you know why the Torah begins with a "Bais" and notwith an "Aleph"?  Because the beginning of all beginnings, thatletter which you cannot even see.  The Torah begins with an"Aleph" because the Torah is all the secrets.  Everything ishidden, hidden, hidden.  The letters are hidden, the words arehidden, and the blank paper is hidden, and the Torah is covered. And the groom covers the face of the bride.  

SECRETS
	Avraham Avinu, Abraham our Father, taught us how to talk toeach other and to G-d.  His whole being was bringing people closeto G-d so he had to know how to communicate.  May you be blessedto always be able to talk to your children, and may your chioldrenalways be able to tell their secrets to you.  Who else should theytell?  So you should always share secrets with each other and yourchildren!  When your children cry, take them under your tallis,your prayer shawl, and pray with them, to give them strengthforever.
        
	When you get married, you are privileged to the deepestsecrets of the Torah, the secrets of being married. "Halachah" ishow one walks with G-d, so it should be clear to you how exactlyG-d wants you to walk with Him, and how to walk with your wife andwith your children.  Secrets.  

THE TALLIS
	The Kallah give the Chasan a tallis which is the symbol ofprayer.  And under the chupah, all the gates of heaven are open. Because of one prayer, the world can ber redeemed! One couple canbring Mashiach.  May you be that couple!
	A good friend is someone where I can hide.  Sometimes we makealot of mistakes and we have nowhere to hide.  A tallis, the holyprayer shawl, is a place where I can hide.  The tallis is given asa gift from the bride to the groom.  You know someone loves youwhen you are good and sweet, but everyone has a part that is notperfect.  So the bride says to the groom, "You can trust me somuch, you can hide under my soul all the time.  I will help youhide under this tallis for all eternity."  The truth is that inour lives we meet many people whom we love, but only one personwho gives  us a tallis for all eternity, only one person who givesus a tallis of peace where we can hide. 

THE RING 
	There are two lights in the world.  There is finite lightwhich has measures, which has vessels.  Then there is the infinitelight which has no vessels, no beginning and no end.  This isround.  Every person has a little bit of measured and and a littlebit of unmeasured light, and yet even the unmeasured isindividual.  In that part of light which has measure, everybody'smeasure is different.  Even in the light of the infinite, in theunmeasured, the holiness of human beings is that even though weare all infinite, I am not infinite the way you are infinite.  Butthen there is something infinite behind all this which brings allthe infinite together.  The kallah walks in circles around thechasan, giving him that part of herself which is infinite.  Theholy chasan gives her a little ring, giving her that part ofhimself which is infinite.  Both of them are standing under thechupah, the great infinite light which covers both of themtogether, which is G-d's light beyond everything.  That real,holy, infinite light which has no beginning and no end is whatgets people together.
	The Holy Bais Yaakov says if someone gives you a gift and youdon't know the worth of it, then you don't receive that giftproperly.  Imagine if someone gives me a little ring and I thinkit's only worth a dollar.  So my thank you is a dollar's worththank you; I didn't receive more.  If I know the ring is worth onehundred dollars I say thank you differently, because I receive itdifferently.  Can you imagine if someone gives me something and Iknow it is eternity!
	I'm sure you gave many gifts in your life, but none of themcompare to the wedding ring.  For the first time in your life, youare privileged to give someone a gift and you know you are reallydoing G-d's will.  For the first time in your life, you givesomeone a gift and you know this person will remember it ineternity.  For the first time you give someone a gift, and youknow your great great grandchildren will know.  So you can imaginehow round this ring is.  It is really eternal.  It has nobeginning and no end.   It will be remembered forever.  
	When you receive this ring, it is mamash eternity.  Your lifedepends on it.  Your chldren, the whole world, the coming ofMashiach depends on it.  The Gemora says that the Mashiach canonly come when all the people who are supposed to be in the worldto bring Mashiach are here.  Everybody has a little brick for theGreat Highway and until everyone has put a stone in the rightplace, the Highway is not yet completed...

	When a man and woman come together they form the word ofGod's Holy Name, Yud Kay Vav Kay. Yud Kay is for the chasan.  Heis responsible for all holy thoughts in the marriage.  And Vav Kayis for the Kallah.  She is responsible for all holy actions.  Whenthe Kallah holds out her finger to receive the ring, she forms theletter Vav and the five fingers are for Kay.  The Yud Kay is soholy because Yud is so small, but it is the Kallah who makes thechasan big!

	Why is the whole marriage the ring?  The ring is like the"samich".  What is the deepest connection between husband andwife?  They say if G-d forbid you are falling, I'll hold you up. You can always fall on me.  
	Listen to this, each time a person gets married, you connectyourself to the "samich".       "G-d holds up allthose who are falling".  
	What's a lonely person?  I can know the Brooklyn telephone book by heart, and still be lonely.  I can go to parties, andthere are two thousand people every night that know me and I canstill be the loneliest person in the world.  When do I stop beinglonely.  When there is one person in the world who gives me a"samich". 

	Reb Nachman says, why is it so hard to fall asleep onSaturday night?  Because Eliyahu HaNavi is really coming everySaturday night.  He is coming to wake up the world.  The lonliestnight of the week is Saturday night for those who are  lonely.  Ifthey are lonely, then Saturday night they are the loneliest. Because on Saturday night, Meshiach is coming.  Chanukah is alittle like Saturday night because the Lights of Meshiach areshining and you can't sit by yourself.  

THE KETUBA
	When the Rabbis got together to write the holy Ketuba, themarriage contract, they prophetically saw every wedding untilMashiach comes.  The Ketuba tells us how husband and wife areresponsible for each other.

BELIEVING IN G-D	
	When you believe in G-d, nothing is impossible.  What's toohard for G-d?  When people love each other, they are on the levelof the impossible, because then you know that everythingimpossible can be possible!  G-d putting two people together istotally on the level of the impossible.


    
	My husband and I were not privileged to be married by RebShlomo.  He is our Rebbe, teacher, friend.  But twenty years whenwe were getting married in America he was in Israel...  So today,whenever I stand at a wedding that Reb Shlomo is performing, Ipersonally receive all those blessings for myself, too.  And manytimes Reb Shlomo is marrying a couple whose parents are notpresent and my husband and I are are appointed as "acting parents"and I have had that awesome privilege of walking the bride around the groom seven times under the marriage canopy. The bride isbuilding the walls of their new home, their new miniature HolyTemple.  The bride walks around the groom as a protection againstall evil in the world.  As she walks around seven times, 
all those present feel the walls going up, a protection for life. 
	All the bride's and groom's ancestors are at the chupah andalso all their children to come.  These are the most powerfulmoments, under the chupah.  The gates of heaven are open.  Thebride and groom can pray for the whole world, may their prayers beanswered.  
	It is also a great honor to dance with the bride and groom, to bring them great joy.
    
	Reb Shlomo was recently asked to perform an engagementceremony which took place a month before the wedding.  A veryintense spiritual atmosphere was created by Reb Shlomo; all thosewho were present were made responsible for helping this couplestay together.  We were told that if the groom should ever becomesad, G-d forbid, we should just remind him, "Did you forget howbeautiful your bride is?  She's the best in the world and lovesyou so much.  You can't be sad more than a second!"  And the samefor the bride... We all gave blessings and promised indeed to takecare of bride and groom!
	In a world where many people don't care, our Rebbe has taughtus that we must care, and not just for a minute but for always. This is what happens at weddings - Reb Shlomo creates anatmosphere of real caring and loving, for the bride and groom, and for all of us that are present.  May all the couples become closerand bring Meshiach closer!  The feelings experienced are longremembered and the people who share in these celebrations changeand grow, and become more aware and sensitive human beings.
	Enjoy these weddings, dance and celebrate with us!  
	May the Meshiach come speedily in our day!!