By Rabbi Yosef Braun, member of the Badatz of Crown Heights
If a shidduch (proposed match) is suggested with a good girl who has yiras Shamayim (fear of G-d) and is a ba’alas midos tovos (possesses good character traits), but her parents were mechalelei Shabbos (desecrated Shabbos), or weren’t generally frum (religious), some people may mistakenly consider it grounds for rejecting the shidduch.
This may be due to the concern that her parents’ marriage might not have been halachically in order, or that taharas hamishpachah (family purity) may not have been observed.
However, marrying such a girl is actually preferable to marrying a girl from a frum family who does not have those qualities.
In fact, Sefer Chassidim implies that it’s often better to marry a giyores (convert) than someone from a Jewish family; a baalas teshuvah (a girl who became frum) is likewise on a higher plane than tzadikim gemurim (those who have always been on the highest level).
Therefore, the order of priority is:
Giyores, then a ba’alas teshuvah—provided they both have yiras Shamayim and are of upstanding character, and then a girl from a frum family who does not possess such sterling qualities.
Originally published on halacha2go.com
VIDEO:
Point to me where in the halacha it tells you that you must not “pollute” your “pure” yichus. You should preserve your customs for sure, but to say that marrying outside a community is unthinkable just points to how misguided you are. Such a mindset is a main part of the shidduch crisis problem.
Life changing article… please expand on this thought. Thank you for giving BT girls hope!!!
You may need to take some good inventory before
flaunting your ghezhe, yichus, and “green yichus”…
and find that there are plenty of finer people beyond
your limitations.
the main point is to marry a girl with Yiras Shamayim, that may include, girls from a divorced family, baaley teshuva, etc, don’t marry cause of their last name
well done Rabbi Braun
the order is then whatever you prefer. The Rav’s point is to dispel the harmful notion that others aren’t “good enough” when it’s clear that often, people from frum families have serious issues in middos and yiras shamayim!
This is outrageous!!! As Gezhe, we marry Gezhe and Yichus (whether its the Yichus by family lineiage or the “new” Yichus of a “green” family – a few million dollars that they are not hesitant to share with our children for the privelidge of allowing them to marry into our coveted family). Its silly to think that we will ever do anything differently, our Zayde’s and Bubbe’s went to great lengths to perserve the purity of our family lineage and now you have people who just want to take that away?!?! Never!!!
you write that the order of priorities is: Giyores, then a ba’alas teshuvah—provided they both have yiras Shamayim and are of upstanding character, and then a girl from a frum family who does not possess such sterling qualities.
what about if all three possess sterling qualities? THEN what’s the order?
All of this illustrious family garbage is just that. No one knows for sure if their heritage is pure. The only ones that have pure lineage are gairim because they are sons and daughters of Avraham and Sarah. You need to re examine your beliefs. They go against Halacha.
It wasn’t my not -yet-frum family that showed our children the wrong stuff. They were very respectful. It was the frum family teaching them all about the so called “grey” area and how its ok
I completely agree with this article, however, as a BT myself this won’t happen. As the saying goes, and yes this is the reality, you make them but won’t marry them. I married a BT with wonderful middos, BH, and who does take mitzvos seriously. With regards to our parents, no we may not fabreng with them, but we enjoy a good laugh and like to spend time with them. They BH get nachas from their grandchildren who are being raised to follow mitzvos that they might not do themselves. My in-laws look forward to every shabbos they spend with… Read more »
You missed the point. The point was that if the giyores or BT has more yiras shomayim, then it’s better to marry them over a FFB with less yiras shomayim. Do you honestly think you farbreinging with your shver on pesach is more important that your children having a G-d fearing mother? Btw I personally never heard of any BT’s children who got affected by their non frum relatives (actually it’s much easier to get affected by non-chassidish relatives who are in the same system as you, which most of the gezha families have, than by relatives who have no… Read more »
“For whom doing mitzvos is natural to them”? The Rebbe says doing mitzvos is natural to a Jew!!
And say that should illnesses or death G-d forbid come upon the Ffb parent or even divorce fights there would be alot of challenges for the children chochom ainov brosho but hashem is incharge so you try your best
I agree that the parents shouldn’t reject someone because they’re a BT or ger, but if the child wants to have frum parents in law who they can eat by, or a wife/husband for whome doing mitzvos is natural for them etc, then no one should pressure them otherwise. It’s their decision.
I am what’s called ffb as are my parents and in laws but my greatest respect is for BT’s and geirim. from your comment I would love to know who you are so that I can make sure none of my grandchildren get stuck with a member of your prejudiced family. Some of my siblings married bt’s and NEVER had a problem when visiting the in laws. For that matter, they were 100% MORE respectful of yiddishkiet than the ghesh and spitz that walk around the neighborhood half dressed.
money, looks, or size in my child’s Shidduch and I’m sure many with their priorities straight, also don’t
you’re wrong! I have heard from mothers themselves that the girl has to be pretty and thin. B”H all my children married Baalei Teshuva and have great marriages K”H. only one married spitz and didn’t last long. they then B”H remarried – a B T. Years ago, a man who considered himself spitz/ghesh came to the Rebbe for yechidus bemoaning that his daughter wants to marry a guy she was going out with who was a BT. The father was very upset stating “how does he come to her? (she is from such an illustrious background…) and the Rebbe responded… Read more »
Not all geirim are Rabbi Akiva…………
It can work sometimes does and sometimes doesnt.However, the rules apply only to each individual case.What about the grandkids not being able to eat in grandparents homes?Grandparents mocking the religious
stuff infront of the kids?………There are complications…..
There are also those who believe that marrying someone with similar backgrounds makes for more common ground.
What’s “spitz”?
i dont agree that marrying a ger is such a wonderful thing, firstly you cant have a regular relationship with their parents, it will always be strange, plus youll have to explain to your kids lots of stuff. It simply makes frum life much more difficult when you cant go their house for shabbos or pesach.lets not sugar coat this, itll be hard and a spouse has to.be ready for that. I love speaking and fabrageninh with my shver over shavbos and pesach, we share so much in common and couldnt have that relationship if he was not a shomer… Read more »
Answer: it is “derech shel ish lachzor achar isho” (the way of the man to search for a wife)
and for the girl it says “tav lemeisav…”
Chas vishalom that looks should be involved. Go on a date with a good resume, and of its meant to be there will be an attraction no matter what the person looks like!
The most important thing is what’s on the inside…
I give everyone that has not yet found their bashert a Bracha that Hashem should make it easy and smooth and place the person right in front of you in an obvious manner
Since when do we look in Halacha for Shiduchim?!
My mother won’t let me date a girl from England, Australia and Israel.
Be happy people arent marring for an acre of land anymore. Money has always been the essence of marrige
thats just the style of how halachah talks about marrige, it probobly goes both ways
the only way this type of ‘shiddach’ would happen is if there was huge money…the new ghezh
You mean to say you are a ger? Giur is what you went through when you dipped in the mikveh.
This is not the place for this topic. But those are have the
knowledge can understand…
By the guys, the main priorities:
1. Skinny girl
2. Good looking girl
3. Girl with money in her family
4. Girl who dresses nicely
5. Midos
By the girls:
1. Has a good parnassa (120,000 plus), or has rich parents who will support him even if he doesn’t work
2. Is over 6 feet tall
3. Goes to movies or the theater
4. Is good looking
5/ Is generous
6. Knows how to learn
7. Has good middos.
Just basing the above on what I see…
Let’s see all the spitz Chabad follow this opinion. How many of them will accept a girl who is a baal teshuva for their son? G-d forbid it will pollute the lineage. One thing I agree with (although it wasn’t explicitly said, more implied)… these so-called old Chabad families have kids off the derech, to the extent of marrying out or living an immoral lifestyle. So who wants them anyway? FTR – I am not a BT and BH I married off all my kids to the right ones, covering every level from BT families to spitz. This snobbery is… Read more »
Sources for daily halachos (this is #564) are posted on a weekly basis both in print–check local shuls (Crown Heights, Boro Park, Flatbush, Monsey, Lakewood) and on the website http://www.halacha2go.com.
I told the rebbe in yechidus that someone had broken up my shidduch because I was a balas tshuvah and the boy was frum from birth. The rebbe asked me for the name of the person who broke us up!
Today the most choshuve yiddin aren’t frum so this whole choice is very limited
How some people come from nothing and at one point (really) think they are Tzadok I’m compare to other, special when it come to shiduchim.
Total sickness
An era of advanced
technological developments namely A.R.T.,despite its
benefits,has brought unprecedented halachic problems
which pose much more difficult questions than Shmiras
Shabbos.
ya why not boys?
correction ; I guessed that people aren’t aware of this, but it’s likely that the vast majority or everyone is aware of this. Thank G-d!
Now you can all apologize 😉
I really enjoy your one minute video clips! Quick, and full of content and knowledge
The truth revealed.
Why does not this rule also apply to a male convert or a male Baal teshuva ?
Your clip addressed the issue regarding a shidduch to a girl. Would the halacha apply equally of a shidduch to boy?
I am open to that .look if heaven gives me it.
I am open to that .look if heaven gives me it.
So many are not aware of this!
One minute is not enough to discuss this topic.
Today there are more complicated questions/problems
than the above mentioned criteria. An era of advanced
technological developments namely A.R.T.,despite its
benefits,has brought unprecedented halachic problems
which pose much more difficult questions than Shmiras
Shabbos.
yiras shamayim is the most important of all
I totally agree – the bottom line all depends on the Middos. I have a really close friend who has amazing Middos – he is open to dating anyone who shares those Middos and Chessed outlook – it doesn’t matter Giyores, Ballas Teshuva, Frum girl who grew up frum/chassidish, rebelled and now looking to reconnect with Chassidishkeit. Looking for a young woman 25-33 – please email me at [email protected]
all talk
This article does set our priorities straight,thank you