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Shana Rishona: First
Year of Marriage
An Orthodox
Perspective by Rivka
C. Berman
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Judaism prescribes a yearlong honeymoon period, though not in the sense of a Champagne-glass shaped Jacuzzi and a heart-shaped bed. In biblical times a newlywed husband was excused from the army in order to be free to gladden the woman he married.
The first year together is in many ways the hardest. Synchronizing two personalities is no easy task, and new couples will benefit from building a solid foundation of intimacy early on. For some couples, this means doing without new business ventures that would take them far from each other. Other couples establish a weekly date night to flame the spark that brought them together in the first place.
A tradition to call the newlywed couple chattan (groom) and kallah (bride) for the first year reinforced the newness of the bond, encouraging the couple to treasure their special status.
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