[Avodah] To Stand or Not to Stand for a Chosson and Kallah

[Prof. Levine]

At 08:41 PM 11/1/2011, R. Micha wrote:
>REMT and RSM also noted here a while back that originally people sat
>when the chasan and kallah came in. Admittedly, we can view that as a
>transition period, not long enough to define a minhag. I don't know.

>However, li nir'eh that now that it's de rigeur, and people associated it
>with "chasan domeh lemelekh", refraining from standing makes a statement,
>not joining in on the hanhagah. It seems to be a trivial way to contribute
>to simchas chasan vekallah. So why not?

Rabbi Zev Cinamon published a sefer entitled "Beyom Chasunaso." In it he
gives "an explanation and analysis of the laws and customs of a Jewish
wedding." One of the sections of this sefer discusses this topic.

I have posted the material dealing with this topic at 
<http://www.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/levine/standing_chasuna.pdf>
.


At 08:41 PM 11/1/2011, R. Harry Maryles wrote:
>It was never an issue until seats were put out for the ceremony.? Until
>recently the ceremony was always outside and all the people stood through
>the entire ceremony.? This is still done at many weddings.? Putting out
>seats & having the ceremony inside seems to be the chukas hagoyim issue,
>not standing for C&K.

I recall being at an outside chupah at least 20 years ago when there
were chairs set up and people sat.


At 08:41 PM 11/1/2011, R. Micha wrote:
>Why is it that everyone stands for the chasan and kallah at a wedding,
>but so few of us have a minhag to stand for Lekha Dodi? There we have
>a kalah, and in some nusachos, she is identified with "Shabbas Malkesa".

I stand for the last stanza of Lecha Dodi when we welcome the Shabbos
queen, but not before. This I think is the original Ashkenaz minhag,
but I am not sure if this is indeed the case.

YL