Why Doesn’t the Groom Personally Escort his Bride to the Chupa, aren't we Afraid of a 'Switch & Bait' as with Jacob our Forefather?
There is a very interesting custom in a Jewish wedding.
Before the ceremony, the groom goes to the room where his bride is waiting and covers her face with a veil. He then leaves her and goes to wait for herunder the chupah.
The traditional explanation for this is that he is checking to make sure he has got the right bride.
Why? Because Jacob was the victim of a last-minute switch by his father-in-law, who substituted Leah, the older of his two daughters, for Rachel, the one Jacob loved.
Jacob discovered the deception after he consummated the marriage with Leah, in the dark. Although not happy with being swindled, Jacob decided to accept his fate nevertheless, and later also married Rachel.
But if today’s groom were indeed checking the bride to make sure he got his beloved, shouldn’t he uncover her face and escort her personally to the ceremony, never taking his eyes off her?
But he doesn’t do that. He covers her and walks away. So there must be more to it. Indeed there is. All this is a ceremony acknowledging the mystery of marriage.
Leah represented the woman of mystery whom Jacob was meant to marry. Rachel represented the revealed one, the choice he made.
When you get married, the truth is that although you think you are marrying the spouse of your choice, there is bound to be an element of mystery.
Later, you will discover that you ended up also with Leah, who is the side of your spouse you never knew you were getting.
And this is exactly what you need!
In Jacob’s case, Leah proved to be exactly what he needed – the sourceof enormous blessing to him, the mother of ten of his twelve sons, and in the end, she was the one with whom he was buried.