[Avodah] Praising the Bride

[Micha Berger via Avodah]

On Sun, Jul 31, 2016 at 11:15:43PM -- 0400, Cantor Wolberg via Avodah wrote:
: Along the lines of what Zev writes, Rav Berkovitz shlita told us that
: pshat in Beis Hillel is that in the grooms eyes she is surely "na'ah
: vachasudah".

He probably cited the Maharsha, who explains the gemara that way.

The problem is that one is allowed to mislead (meshaneh es ha'emes) for
peace, but should still avoid actually lying. So the Maharsha explains
how the words could be taken as technically true, even if misleading
at face value.

: How can you say that when in days of old, the groom didn't even 
: see her bride until the wedding?

I don't think that was true of the era in question. Batei Hillel veShammai
was late bayis sheini. This is an era when Tu beAv included guys picking
our their dates from among the girls dancing. Even though I presue most
marriages were not made that way, it still does not speak of an era in
which marriage was expected to be arranged.

(Similarly, a generation later.... Rachel and Aqiva, her father's head
shepherd, fall in love and decide to get married. Kalba Savua does not
react like Tevye the milkman, "They gave each other a pledge? Unheard
of. Absurd!" What only bothers him is that his daughter chose an
ignoramous. A condition Aqiva corrects, thanks to the motivation provided
by his wife.)

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             People were created to be loved.
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