Kiddushin is the Hebrew word for “marriage.” It comes from the same root as kodesh, which means “holy.” Both words contain within them the implication of “sacred” as “set aside, unique, unlike anything else.” The bond we form with a life-partner is meant to be just that –the most sacred, the most special, the most exclusive and unique relationship in our lives.
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There were three essential ingredients in the ancient Jewish wedding ceremony: the giving and acceptance of an object of value, the signing and reading of a marriage document, and the consummation of the marriage. In Biblical times, it is said, any of these three items were enough to form a marriage; by the time of the Talmud all of them were seen as required. And the customs surrounding Jewish wedding ceremonies have continued to grow and evolve ever since that time.
