Parshas Chayei Soroh: Reciting Sheva Berachos

Parshas Chayei Soroh: Reciting Sheva Berachos
Halachic Dvar Torah from tzemachdovid.org

The Torah tells us that after Rivkah agreed to return with Avraham's servant to marry Yitzchak, her family gave her a Beracha as they sent her away (Bereishis 24:60). The Beraisa at the beginning of the first Perek of Maseches Kallah states that this Posuk is the source of our practice to recite the Birchas Chassanim, better known as the Sheva Berachos, at a wedding. We likewise read in Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer (Perek 16) that Rivkah's family stood and gave her a Beracha just as a Chazzan stands and recites Berachos in the presence of the Kallah under the Chupah. The Gemara there in Maseches Kallah (Perek 1 Ibid.) as well as in Kesubos (7b) cites other Pesukim which similarly hint at the practice of reciting these special Berachos.

The Mishnah in Megillah (23b) indicates that a Minyan of ten men is required in order to say these Berachos; the aforementioned Gemara in Kesubos (Ibid.) derives these points from the Pesukim as well. On the next page in Kesubos (8a) the Gemara states that the Chosson himself may be counted toward the Minyan. Rabbi Pinchas HaLeivi Horowitz, in his Sefer Haflo'oh on Maseches Kesubos (Ibid. s.v. Kol Zeh), suggests that this may depend upon which Posuk is the actual source for requiring a Minyan altogether; the Shulchan Aruch, however, (Even HaEzer Siman 72 Sif 4) rules clearly that the Chosson may indeed be counted. The Netziv, in his commentary to the She'iltos (HaEmek Sheilah on Sheiltos 16 Ot 11), explains that the Chosson can be part of the Minyan because he too has an obligation to be "MiSameach" the Kallah, which apparently is accomplished by saying these Berachos. However, the Mordechai in Kesubos (Siman 131, 1a) quotes from one of the Geonim that it is preferable that the Chosson himself not be the one to actually recite the Berachos.

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