Question:
Why do rabbis insist that the food at a wedding be kosher? Frankly, I don't see why it should matter who the caterer is, and if I don't usually keep kosher, why should my wedding be kosher? I understand you need a rabbi to oversee the ceremony, but why do you need a rabbi to oversee the kitchen?
Answer:
Why do we need to serve food at a wedding in the first place? Can't you get married without eating? And indeed, why does every Jewish event involve food?
The answer: eating is our way of capturing a moment and ingesting it. By linking a holy event with a meal, we bring the holiness down into our body. Without food, the event would remain somewhat abstract. The food is what brings it down to earth.
Food is the bridge between matter and spirit, body and soul. Our soul is our life force; our body a lifeless shell. By eating we connect our physical self with its spiritual life force, we bring soul into body. If we didn't eat, our body would gradually disconnect from its source of life. It is food that creates the link between body and soul.
That's why we eat at a wedding. The Jewish wedding is a spiritual event. A holy light descends upon the souls of bride and groom, bringing them together as one. We don't want this to be a fleeting moment, but rather we want to absorb the spirit and energy of the day. This is achieved by eating a celebratory meal. Through eating food from a wedding meal, we absorb the divine light into our bodies, and bring the blessings down to earth, so that the holiness of the day should influence the lives of the new couple, their families and all present.
That's why the food ought to be kosher. The kosher diet promotes good circulation between soul and body. If food connects body to soul, kosher food ensures a smooth connection. This is true of every meal -- how much more so for a wedding meal. The holiness of a wedding can only be captured by food that is holy.
You hire a good photographer to capture the scene of the wedding day. Have a kosher function, and capture the soul of the day forever.
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Email the writer at: rabbimoss@bina.com.au | 
