The Bobov Hasidic court has launched an unusual campaign to reduce the soaring cost of wedding celebrations, especially the nightly sheva brachot meals held during the week. Through its “Chaim Shel Shalom” committee, which has worked for years with the rebbe’s support to cut wedding expenses, the court is urging families to scale back these events and hold them at home in a minimal format.
According to a community survey conducted in recent weeks among dozens of families with children getting married, almost all respondents said the current custom is an unbearable financial burden, falling mainly on grandparents and in-laws. They said lavish evening parties are unnecessary, while older Hasidim said this was not the practice in earlier generations. The article notes that the halachic basis for sheva brachot is simply that the bride and groom eat together with ten men and a “new face,” not that an elaborate celebration is required every night.
The proposal, which is described as a recommendation rather than a binding decree, would begin on Rosh Chodesh Elul. Under it, families would hold a simple dinner at home for only the bride and groom, with the only exception being one additional couple of friends if the young couple feels comfortable inviting them. Bobov’s rabbinic judges have issued a clear ruling that there is no need to assemble a special minyan for weekday sheva brachot, and that doing so does not diminish the joy of the wedding.
To encourage adoption of the new standard, the first 60 families who follow the plan will receive a special $1,500 credit toward wedding-related expenses, at the hall or the sheva brachot venue. In addition, the bride and groom will receive a $500 gift card for personal purchases. The court hopes the initiative, which follows earlier efforts to lower wedding and clothing costs, will become a model for other Hasidic communities.
