Ketubah Texts

Text 1

embraces each other as loving companions today and throughout their lives. On this day each accepts the other and promise to care and support one other on all future days. They pledge to seek together a life of unity and mutual respect as they build their home and family together.  Each agrees to offer insight and affection freely, and to recognize and meet each other’s physical and spiritual needs. They vow to continue building their friendship: to openly talk and listen to one another, supporting growth and encouraging change. By practicing patience and being quick to apologize, each providing understanding and compassion to the other, they commit to a lifetime of personal development and openness to the other. They agree to establish a home full of love, warmth and generosity. Now, witnessed by their family and friends, each says to the other: “Joyfully we enter into this covenant and solemnly accept its obligations.” This Ketubah has been witnessed and signed according to tradition. All is valid and confirmed.

Text 2

as witnessed by family and friends both bride and groom have made a mutual covenant together as husband and wife.  As partners in marriage, the groom pledges the bride:  “According to tradition, you are my wife.  I will honor and cherish you in faithfulness and integrity.”  The bride vows to the groom: “According to tradition, you are my husband.  I will honor and cherish you in faithfulness and integrity.”  As lovers and friends, we vow to be open to each other, sharing our feelings and thoughts completely.  We will strive to bring out each other’s qualities of goodness, empathy, forgiveness, understanding and patience. Together, we agree to build a home to be a safe environment, where openness and love is expressed freely.  This Ketubah has been witnessed and signed according to tradition. All is valid and binding.

Text 3

before God, family and friends have entered into the covenant of marriage, saying to each other: "I betroth you to me forever. I betroth you to me in everlasting faithfulness. I will be your loving friend as you are mine. Set me as a seal upon your heart, like the seal of this ring upon your hand. I will honor and cherish you, uphold and sustain you throughout our lives together. I take you to be mine in loving-kindness.”  We consecrate our lives to each other through the gift of these rings. As our hearts are united on this day, may we always be aware of the bond that unites all as one. Let our home be built on understanding and wisdom. This Ketubah has been witnessed and signed according to tradition. All is valid and binding.

Text 4

The groom promises the bride: “According to traditions of Moses and Israel, you are my wife. I shall hold you in my heart as is customary among the children of Israel in faithfulness and in integrity." The bride promises the groom: "According to the traditions of Moses and Israel, you are my husband. I will honor and cherish you as is customary to tradition." As beloveds and friends, we promise to strive throughout our lives together to be open and honest to each other. We will share our thoughts, our feelings, and our experiences as we become closer to each other. We promise to encourage qualities of forgiveness, compassion, and integrity throughout our lives together. We will embrace each other's uniqueness; comfort and support each other through life's sorrows and joys; sharing our insight and wisdom with one another; we will do everything within our power to permit each of us to become the persons we are to become. On this day these promises to each other are witnessed by family and friends and is valid and binding.

 Text 5

_________ and  ___________entered into a mutual covenant as husband and wife before God and these witnesses. Each says to the other: "I commit myself to you as your spouse from this day forth. In complete faithfulness I pledge all that I have and all that I am to you. I am your loving friend as you are mine. I promise to encourage strength and unity in our marriage by loving and respecting you always, offering insight and affection freely and by acknowledging and meeting your worldly and spiritual needs. Set me as a seal upon your heart, like the ring I have placed upon your hand. I will protect and cherish you, holding you up above life’s challenges. I recognized the divine image within you and therefore will honor you as the gift that you are. I embrace you as my love and will care for you in tenderness and compassion. Our love will be nurtured and strengthen as we grower closer together with each passing day. May we be joined to one other by these rings. Our shared hopes for the future will unite us in faith and trust. May our hearts beat as one both in times of joy as in times of sadness. May our home be built on understanding and loving-kindness. May our home be rich with wisdom and reverence. This Ketubah has been witnessed by family and friends and signed according to tradition. All is valid and binding.

Text 6

The rings upon our hands symbolize our commitment to each other as husband and wife.  We will treasure and respect each other with honor and dignity as we create a home and future that is full of love and mutual respect.  Together we give each other permission, to with courage, find and pursue our path in life.  We will provide for each other an atmosphere to where we will find protection and safety within our home.  May our lives be woven together forever and be as one as we share our paths together.  In all of life’s experiences, we promise each other an open dialogue to express our innermost thoughts and feelings; to always be aware of each other’s physical, spiritual and emotional needs; in love, we will challenge each other to a life of intellectual, physical, spiritual and emotional fulfillment.  We also promise to build a home within our community, committed to be an example of loving companions; we dedicate ourselves to a life of peace, hope and respect for all people; a family filled with compassion, love, generosity, and openness to all.  Before family and friends, we joyfully enter into this covenant and solemnly accept its obligations.  All this is valid and binding.

Text 7

____ & _____ entered the covenant of marriage saying to each other, “As I give you my hand to hold, I give you my heart to keep.  The rings we place upon each other’s fingers are the seals of our love and devotion toward one other.   They represent our dedication as we establish a home with a foundation of love and gratitude, honesty and sound communication.  Each promises the other to be slow to anger and quick to forgive.  With patience and understanding, we gladly open our lives to each other, as friend, companion, confidant and lover.  As we grow together, we are committed to be more in love in the future than we are on this day.”  Before family and friends, the signing of this document affirms our mutual commitment.

Text 8

On this day, before family and friends, we declare our commitment to each other as husband and wife.  As lovers and friends, we pledge to each other, our complete trust and loyalty.  We accept each other’s pledge joyfully and will work to fulfill each of our promises to the other.  The rings we give one other, symbolize the unique and solid bond between us.  This bond is the foundation of the home we build together.  As we enter each moment as one, we will embrace the wisdom which comes through the difficult times and seasons of our lives.  We pledge to be open and understanding to each other and to be always honest.   We also acknowledge that while we are now husband and wife, each of us must maintain our individuality and autonomy without sacrificing the sacred bond we now share.  We agree that our home will be a peaceful place where our family finds rest.  May the atmosphere within our home cultivate inspiration, love and security so that all who enter is nurtured by that love.  By our signatures, let each of these words be established and all is binding.

Text 9

On this day in the presence of God, family and friends, we entered into the covenant of marriage as husband and wife. We pledge our complete trust and loyalty to each other. We promise to create a family home wherein love, faith, wisdom and integrity thrives. Each says to the other: "Set me as a seal upon your heart like the ring I have placed upon your hand. I will protect and cherish you, holding you up above life’s challenges. I will care for you with tenderness and compassion throughout the years, comforting you in times of sadness and sorrow, celebrating with you in times of triumph and joy. Together as friends, partners and spouses we shall prevail. With each beat of my heart my love for you shall be strengthened as our souls grow entwined with one another until the end of time. So shall we honor the heritage and culture passed down - From generation to generation. By our signatures, let these words be established and binding.

Text 10

Supported by the love of family and friends, each enters into the covenant of marriage, promising to nurture the love they share today, that it may grow with each day after. Together we say to the other, "In this moment and in every moment after, I pledge my love and loyalty to you. I will be there for you when you need me most. I will stand beside you sharing your dreams, your triumphs and challenges. Together, joining our hearts and our hands, we will work diligently to build our home, our family and place in the community. We will strive to be open and honest with each other, knowing that personal growth comes of difficulties that arise in life. Together, we will embrace life and love with each other and may the passion we both feel today, grow with us throughout our lives.  Our commitments and the signatures upon this document seal this covenant between us.

Conservative

We testify that on the ____ day of the week, the ____ day of the month of ____, in the year ____, corresponding to the ____ day of ____, in the year ____, here in ____, in the country of ____, the groom, ____, the son of ____, said to the bride, ____, the daughter of ____: “Be my wife according to the laws and traditions of Moses and the Jewish people. I will work on your behalf and honor, sustain, and support you according to the practice of Jewish men, who faithfully work on behalf of their wives and honor, sustain and support them. I obligate myself to give you the sum of __________ zuzim as the money for your ketubah, to which you are entitled according to __________ law. I will provide your food, clothing, and necessities, and I will live with you in marital relations according to universal custom.” The bride, ____, agreed to these terms and to become his wife, to participate together with him in establishing their home in love, harmony, peace, and companionship, according to the practice of Jewish women. The groom, ____, accepted responsibility for the full dowry that she brought from her __________ house, whether in silver, gold, jewelry, clothes or furnishings, amounting to the sum of __________ zuzim and agreed to increase this amount from his own assets with the sum of __________ zuzim, for a total of __________ zuzim. The groom, ____, said: “I take upon myself, and my heirs after me, the obligation of this ketubah, the dowry, and the additional sum, to be paid from the best part of all my property, real and personal, that I now possess or may hereafter acquire. From this day forward, all my property, wherever it may be, even the mantle on my back, shall be mortgaged and liened for the payment of this ketubah, dowry, and additional sum, whether during my lifetime or thereafter.” ____, the groom, took upon himself all the obligations and strictures of this ketubah, this dowry, and this additional sum, as is customary with other ketubot made for Jewish women in accordance with the enactment of our sages, may their memory be for a blessing. ____, the son ____, the groom, and ____, the daughter of ____ the bride, further agreed that should either contemplate dissolution of the marriage, or following the dissolution of their marriage in the civil courts, each may summon the other to the Bet Din of The Rabbinical Assembly and the Jewish Theological Seminary, or its representative, and that each will abide by its instructions so that throughout life each will be able to live according to the laws of the Torah. This ketubah is not to be regarded as mere rhetoric or as a perfunctory legal form. We have performed the act which in Jewish law makes the obligations of this document legally binding on the part of ____, the groom, to ____, the bride, and on the part of ____, the bride, to ____, the groom, with an instrument fit for that purpose, in order to confirm all that is stated and specified above, which shall be valid and immediately effective.

Orthodox

On the day of the week, the day of the month of in the year ,corresponding to the day of the holy covenant of marriage was entered into at between the groom and the bride. The bridegroom made the following declaration to his bride: "Be my wife according to the law of Moses and of Israel. I faithfully promise that I will be a true husband unto you; I will honor and cherish you; I will protect and support you and will provide all that is necessary for your sustenance in accordance with the usual custom of Jewish husbands. I also take upon myself all such further obligations for your maintenance as are prescribed by our religious statutes." And the bride has entered into this holy covenant with affection and sincerity and has thus taken upon herself the fulfillment of all the duties incumbent upon a Jewish wife. This covenant of marriage was duly executed and witnessed this day according to the usage of Israel.

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