4

There's a line that has made its way into a number of songs:

כל המשמח חתן וכלה זוכה בחמישה קולות
Anyone who gladdens the groom and bride will merit five voices.

But the source Gemara (Brachos 6B) is more specific:

וא"ר חלבו א"ר הונא: כל הנהנה מסעודת חתן ואינו משמחו עובר בחמישה קולות ... ואם משמחו מה שכרו? אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי זוכה לתורה שנתנה בחמישה קולות
[...] anyone who enjoys the feast of a groom and does not gladden him violates five voices [...] And if he does, what is his reward?[...] he merits the Torah, which is given with five voices.

So we only see that it's about the groom, not about the bride. Furthermore, the merit one receives is the Torah, not the five voices.

  • What is the source of its popular formulation?
  • If it is not a reputable halachic source, where do we see that one should gladden the bride?
Improve this question
5
  • 1
    ואהבת לרעך כמוך= source to gladden both groom and bride.
    – mevaqesh
    Dec 7, 2015 at 1:13
  • ושימח את אשתו אשר לקח
    – Double AA ♦
    Dec 7, 2015 at 1:36
  • 1
    @DoubleAA That's the groom's obligation, not the guests
    – Arithmomaniac
    Dec 7, 2015 at 7:05
  • @Arithmomaniac I found the source see below
    – hazoriz
    Jan 10, 2016 at 4:44
  • youtu.be/v_gJAhxf_vI?t=3m11s
    – hazoriz
    Mar 1, 2018 at 17:37

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
2

This only answers the second question (source of making the bride happy)

See foot notes on this and the next page of Netoi Gavriel, who cites Tur Even HaEzer 65:1. (Shulchan Aruch (ibid) also references this Tur.) The source of it seems the stories in the Gemara were the Rabbis danced before the bride, though it still seems the main part of the mitzvah is to make him happy by praising his bride.

First question
Looks like the source of the song is the Maharsho see below

Source that Receives the voices (but nothing about the Bride)

Maharsho on that page 12th line on the left column

He brings kisubois where the wording is exactly like in the song except for the word kol

Maharsho on kesubois 8a right column middle line starts מברכים

Improve this answer
2
  • 1
    It was edited out but from what I heard the point of making them happy is that they should live good together, the bride should be dear to her husband and the husband should be dear respected by his wife (so many respected guests came for him)
    – hazoriz
    Dec 7, 2015 at 20:05
  • 2
    In a Shelom Bayit pamphlet published by one of my Rabbanim from Yeshivat Aish HaTorah, he cites the same Tur you cited here. He brings down from this Tur (seeing as how the emphasis is on the bride) that the guests' job is, as you say, to endear the bride to her husband thereby helping them enter their marriage with utmost joy.
    – Lee
    Jan 6, 2016 at 14:36

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .