Project Genesis - Life Cycles Archives

The Kesubah - translated

Please Note: The following text is for informational purposes only. A Kesubah must be filled out, executed and witnessed under appropriate Rabbinic supervision.

On the ___(1)___ day of the week, the ___(2)___ day of the month ___(3)___ in the year five thousand ___(4)___ hundred and ___(5)___ since the creation of the world, (according to the reckoning which we are accustomed to employ here in the city of ___(6)___ ), how ___(7)___ son of ___(8)___ said to ___(9)___ daughter of ___(10)___ :

"Be my wife according to the law of Moses and Israel. And I will cherish, honor, support and maintain you in accordance with the custom of Jewish husbands who honestly cherish, honor, support and maintain their wives.
I set aside for you the portion of ___(11)___ , ___(12)___ silver zuzim, which accrues to you according to ___(13)___ law, together with your food, clothing and necessities, and undertake to live with you as husband and wife according to universal custom. "

And ___(14)___ consented and became his wife.

Her belongings that she brought to him (from her ___(15)___ house), whether silver, gold, valuables, wearing apparel, house furnishings, and bedclothes, all this ___(16)___ the said groom, accepted in the sum of ___(17)___ silver pieces, with ___(18)___ the bridegroom adding from his own property the sum of ___(19)___ silver pieces, making in all ___(20)___ silver pieces.

And so said ___(21)___ the bridegroom:
"The responsibility of this marriage contract, this wedding dowry, and this additional sum, I take upon myself and my heirs after me, so that they should be paid from the best part of my property and possession that I have beneath the whole heaven, that I have acquired or may acquire in the future. All my property, real and personal, shall be mortgaged to secure the payment of this marriage contract, the wedding dowry, and the addition made, and even from the garment on my shoulders, during my lifetime and after my lifetime, from this day and forever."
The responsibility of this marriage contract, the wedding dowry and the addition made is accepted by ___(22)___ the said groom according to the restrictive usages of all marriage contracts and the additions made for the daughters of Israel, that are done in accordance with the institution of our sages of blessed memory. It is not to be regarded as an indecisive contractual obligation or as a stereotyped form. We have effected the legal formality of binding agreement between ___(23)___ the son of ___(24)___ the groom, and ___(25)___ the daughter of ___(26)___ inclusive of all written and explained above in a manner that is legally appropriate for establishing a transaction
AND EVERYTHING IS VALID AND CONFIRMED.
Attested to _________________, Witness
Attested to _________________, Witness

Explanations of the blanks
1) Day of the week.
2) Day of the month.
3) Name of the month.
4) Century.
5) Year.
6) City, state, country.
7) Name of groom.
8) Father of groom.
9) Name of bride.
10) Father of bride.
11), 12), 13) Depending on the prior status of the bride (never married, divorced, widowed, converted) the amount required for the Kesubah, as well as the basis for the amount, vary.
For a never-married woman who was Jewish from birth,
11 would read "your being a virgin,"
12 would read "200"
13 would read "Biblical."
14) Name of bride.
15) Depending on whether the bride's father is alive, and whether she was married previously, or she is a convert, the correct phrase would vary.
For a never-married woman whose father is alive and who is Jewish from birth, 15 would read "father's."
16) Groom's name.
17) Depending upon the prior status of the bride, the amount entered here would vary.
For a never-married woman who was Jewish from birth, 17 would read "100."
18) Groom's name.
19) See 17.
20) See 12.
21) Groom's name.
22) Groom's name.
23) Groom's name.
24) Father of groom.
25) Bride's name.
26) Father of bride.