The Secret of the Chasan and Kallah: A New Creation and the Joy of the Garden of Eden

Lesson No. 2099 | Tape No. 2099, Second Lesson

A profound article explaining how a chasan (groom) and kallah (bride) are not merely celebrating, but are literally created anew during the seven days of feasting. Through the secrets of teshuvah (repentance), dancing, and joy in all their limbs, they merit to return to the spiritual level of Adam and Chava in the Garden of Eden before the sin.

The Secret of Shabbos's Protection and the Melaveh Malkah Meal

The Sfas Emes explains that the moment a person does teshuvah (repentance), Hashem creates him anew. Adam HaRishon sinned and was liable to the death penalty, but Hashem created him close to Shabbos so that it would protect him. By the time a person even realizes that he needs to do teshuvah, he becomes confused, runs away, and hides. Therefore, Shabbos was created immediately to protect him, so that it would be impossible to put him to death.

On the final Shabbos of the year, which is the greatest Shabbos, we receive atonement for everything we have sinned throughout the entire year. This is expressed particularly during the Melaveh Malkah seudah (the festive meal escorting the Shabbos Queen). The Chidushei HaRim explains that this meal is the aspect of the Resurrection of the Dead, the secret of the luz bone. "In the place where baalei teshuvah (penitents) stand, completely righteous tzaddikim cannot stand"—this is the secret of the luz bone, the essence of teshuvah.

When we prolong the Melaveh Malkah, we do teshuvah for all the blemishes of Shabbos—whether we slept too much, did not pray properly, or stumbled in forbidden sights. The more one prolongs it, the more one merits to atone for all the Shabboses and to revive the bone from which the Resurrection of the Dead will sprout. On the final Shabbos of the year, if a person intends to do teshuvah, he ascends above the level of the angels, reaching all the way to the Throne of Glory.

Chasan and Kallah: A Literally New Creation

Rabbi Simcha Bunim of Peshischa explains that there is no time when Hashem does not accept a person in teshuvah. The moment a person does true teshuvah, he becomes incorporated into Hashem. This is also the profound secret of the wedding.

In the blessing "Who created joy and gladness, chasan and kallah," we are blessing over a literally new creation. The Imrei Emes of Gur says that right now, at the moment of the chuppah (wedding canopy), Hashem is creating the chasan and kallah anew. It is not that they were born twenty years ago; whatever existed until now was in the aspect of "a wild ass of a man is born." Only now, at the wedding, do they become the aspect of Adam HaRishon.

The seven days of feasting are their seven days of creation. Every day, Hashem forms another part of the creation, and everyone who participates with them is created and renewed alongside them. The chasan is the true baal teshuvah. He must do teshuvah for all the sins of his youth, and if he does true teshuvah and regrets the past, he merits a happy life. "Every chasan is a new creation by Hashem Himself; Hashem is now creating for him a new mind, a new heart, and a new nefesh, ruach, and neshamah (levels of the soul)."

The Role of the Rejoicers: The Shoshvinim of Adam HaRishon

The chasan needs to understand that he is currently being created. Sometimes he does not understand why people are dancing around him; he just wants to go home, rest, and sleep. But right now they are kneading him, massaging him, and creating him anew! He must participate in this creation, to rejoice, to dance, and to contemplate true teshuvah—how to be a kosher and authentic Jew until the end of his life, just like Adam HaRishon before the sin.

The previous Rebbe of Gur explains that Hashem Himself is currently creating the chasan, and we are merely participating in the creation. Just as the angels came, sang, and danced around Adam HaRishon with thirteen canopies of precious stones and pearls, so too, all those who dance before the chasan and kallah become the aspect of the angels.

Furthermore, the rejoicers are the aspect of Hashem Himself, who was the shoshvin (escort and groomsman) of Adam HaRishon. "All those who bring joy to the chasan and kallah are the *shoshvinim* who encourage him to rejoice and smile, and they are the aspect of Hashem who urged Adam HaRishon to rejoice." This joy is an eternal joy that is drawn down from that very first joy in the Garden of Eden.

Bringing the Joy into All the Limbs

The Sfas Emes teaches that the primary purpose of the wedding blessings is to awaken the original joy that existed before the sin. The goal is to draw this joy down for the rest of their lives, so that the home will be filled with joy, without any arguments, bitterness, or sadness.

Rebbe Nosson of Breslov explains that the joy must penetrate all the limbs. Sometimes a person is happy in his heart, but his hands and feet do not dance. Why? Because his sins are blocking the joy. The feet are not happy because they walked toward a transgression, the hands are not happy because they committed sins, and the eyes are not happy because they saw forbidden sights.

The advice for this is Vidui (verbal confession). "Enter the dancing circle, walk slowly with everyone, and confess over everything—over the feet, the hands, the eyes, and the mouth. In this way, the joy will begin to enter all the limbs." The Tikkunei Zohar says that a person must jump and skip like a ram. All sadness comes from sins, and joy and dancing are the true peace of mind.

"Bring Great Joy to these Loving Friends, as You Brought Joy to Your Creations in the Garden of Eden of Old"

The blessing hints that the chasan and kallah should think only of Hashem, exactly as Adam and Chava were attached to Hashem before the sin, without any thoughts of physicality. Through such deveikus (spiritual attachment), they merit to bring holy souls down into the world, just as Amram and Yocheved merited to bring down the soul of Moshe Rabbeinu.

Shiur no. 2099