[Avodah] Care in reading a ketuba

[Zev Sero]

We've been discussing what qualifications are desirable in the person who
reads the ketubah.  Since the whole reading is unnecessary, it follows that
really anyone can do it, but I suggested that it's embarrassing when the
person given this "kibbud" can't read it without breaking his teeth.  Others
suggested that the reading does perform one useful function - it provides a
fresh set of eyes to spot any mistakes, and therefore the job should be given
to someone who is qualified to notice and pasken on any mistakes he might
come across as he's reading.

kennethgmiller at juno.com wrote:
> But finally, at the chupah itself, it did get noticed by the one who was
> reading it aloud, my rav and our listmember, Rav Elazar Teitz. He noticed
> it immediately, decided that it was NOT a problem, and read it aloud
> together with the rest of the kesuba.

Unfortunately many people who read ketubot aloud aren't nearly this
attentive.  Yesterday I was at a chupah where the ketuba-reader misread
the name "Dov" as "Dovid", every time it appeared.  Fortunately a check
of the actual document revealed that it had been written correctly, so all
was well.   I was also at a chupah a few years ago where a prominent rosh
yeshivah kept misreading "Elozor" as "Eliezer" (that is one mistake that
REMT would have been sure not to make!)  This same RY was also clearly
flummoxed by the name Dovber, spelt dalet vav beit ayin reish, and took a
guess at how to pronounce it.  If the reading is to function as a final
proofreading it would be well for the reader to ascertain the names of the
parties in advance.

-- 
Zev Sero                                     May the light of Chanukah
zev at sero.name                                brighten your life