The Shul Wedding Debate
Letter by Rabbi Pinchas Leib Frieden, Av Beis Din of Komaron. 1846
Ardent letter, censuring a member of the Alt-Oiben community who attempted to enforce a communal practice of conducting chuppahs inside shul.
In his letter, Harav Pinchas Frieden vigorously denies the false report that marriages in his community were held indoors and emphasizes that not a single chuppah had been carried out inside a shul throughout his tenure as Rav. He further lambasts the individual who endeavored to reinstate this custom as an imbecile, who is ignorant of Torah, Mishnah and Gemara, sharply adding that this policy could potentially lead a congregation to emulate the ways of Reform Temples.
Harav Pinchas Leib Frieden, Av Beis Din of Komaron (1802-1872) was the author of Divrei Pnei Aryeh, and a disciple of Harav Wolf Buskowitz, author of Seder Mishnah. He corresponded frequently with the Chasam Sofer and was appointed Rav of Komarom where he served the community faithfully for 40 years.
Komaron, 1846. Folded leaf; 3 sides. 26×21 cm. Minor tear in margin with no missing text. Remnant of red wax seal. The second half of the document contains novellae on maseches Kesubos.
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Indoor Chuppah
The practice of conducting weddings inside shuls was a major point of conflict between Orthodox Rabbanim who strongly maintained that a chuppah should take place under the stars and the Reform Rabbis who chose to officiate inside the shul near the Ark.
The Chasam Sofer maintained that the custom should not be changed (Shu”t Chasam Sofer, Even Haezer Ch. 98), an opinion that was upheld by his three noted successors, his son the Ksav Sofer, Maharam Schick and Maharam Ash.
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