The beginning of the marriage ceremony as we know it TB Ketubot 7

Today’s daf TB Ketubot 7 provides a list of rabbis who permit a virgin bride and groom to have sexual intercourse on Shabbat and a list of rabbis who forbid it. To conclude this sugiyah that has spanned three dappim, the Gemara poskins “And the halakha is that it is permitted to engage in intercourse with one’s virgin wife for the first time on Shabbat, and one need not be concerned lest he cause a wound, create an opening, or initiate bleeding.” (Sefaria.org translation) Good to know.

Now the Gemara transitions to the marriage ceremony itself. What is the source that we need a minyan to recite the seven wedding blessings, sheva berakhot-שבע ברכות)? Two possibilities are suggested. “Apropos the source for the benediction of the grooms, the Gemara discusses the matter itself. Rav Naḥman said: Huna bar Natan said to me that it was taught: From where is it derived that the benediction of the grooms is recited in a quorum of ten men (obviously the liberal streams of Judaism now count women as part of the minyan-gg)? It is as it is stated: “And he took ten men of the Elders of the city and said: Sit you here, and they sat” (Ruth 4:2). And Rabbi Abbahu said that the source is from here: “In assemblies [mak’helot], bless God, the Lord, from the source of Israel” (Psalms 68:27). This verse indicates that a congregation [kahal], which contains at least ten men, blesses God when reciting a benediction related to the source of Israel, i.e., conjugal relations, which will lead to the birth of Jewish children.” (Sefaria.org translation) The Hebrew word for source makor (מָקוֹר) is also a synonym for a woman’s womb.

Marriage was a two-step process. The betrothal ceremony, kidushin, was separated from the marriage ceremony, nesuin, by a year. Even though today the two ceremonies take place underneath the huppah, marriage canopy, they are separated by the reading of the ketubah. This separation reminds us that they really are two separate ceremonies. Today’s daf provides us with the wording of the betrothal blessing.

“It is taught in another baraita: One recites the benediction of the grooms in the house of the grooms, and the benediction of the betrothal in the house of the betrothal. With regard to the benediction of the betrothal, what formula does one recite? Ravin bar Rav Adda and Rabba bar Rav Adda both said in the name of Rav Yehuda: Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who sanctified us through His mitzvot, and commanded us concerning the forbidden relatives, and prohibited to us those women who are betrothed, and permitted to us those women who are married by means of the wedding canopy and betrothal. Rav Aḥa, son of Rava, concludes the blessing in the name of Rav Yehuda: Blessed are You, Lord, Who sanctifies Israel by means of the wedding canopy and betrothal.- "בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּנוּ עַל הָעֲרָיוֹת, וְאָסַר לָנוּ אֶת הָאֲרוּסוֹת, וְהִתִּיר לָנוּ אֶת הַנְּשׂוּאוֹת עַל יְדֵי חוּפָּה וְקִדּוּשִׁין"” (Sefaria.org translation)

Although the Gemara cites two different traditions how this blessing concludes, we recite this blessing as Rav Aḥa, son of Rava, in the name of Rav Yehuda did.