About Orthodox Ketubot

The Aramaic text describes a legal commitment: the obligations of the Jewish husband to his wife. It also presents the rights of the wife and the obligations of the husband during the marriage and in case of its dissolution. Two Jewish adult males of good standing in the Jewish community who are not relatives of either the bride or groom are required to sign the contract.

 A proof text can be sent to your rabbi for approval before printing. This is the translation of the Aramaic text. As is traditional, the letter kuph in the word kinyan is not completed in the Aramaic.

Orthodox Ketubah Text

On the ___day of the week, the ___ day of the month _____ in the year five thousand seven hundred and ___ since the creation of the world, the era according to which we reckon here in the city of ____ that ___, son of _____, said to this virgin/divorcee/convert _____, daughter of _____, “Be my wife according to the practice of Moses and Israel, and I will cherish, honor, support, and maintain you in accordance with the custom of Jewish husbands who cherish, honor, support, and maintain, their wives faithfully. And I here present you with the marriage gift proper to virgins/divorcees/converts, two/one hundred silver zuzim, which belongs to you according to the laws of Moses and Israel; and I will also give you your food, clothing, and necessities, and live with as husband and wife according to universal custom.” And ____, the virgin/divorcee/convert, consented and became his wife. The trousseau that she brought to him from her father’s house, in silver, gold, valuables, clothing, furniture, and bedclothes, all this ____, the groom, accepted in the sum of one hundred silver zuzim, and ___the groom, consented to increase this amount from his own property with the sum of hundred silver zuzim, making in all two hundred silver zuzim. And ____, the groom, said: “The responsibility of this marriage contract, of this trousseau, and of this additional sum, I take upon myself and my heirs after me, so that they shall be paid from the best part of my property and possession that I have beneath the whole heaven, which I now possess or may acquire. All my property, real and personal, even the shirt from my back, shall be mortgaged to secure the payment of this marriage contract, of the trousseau, and the addition made to it, during my lifetime and after my death from the present day and forever.” _____, the groom, has taken upon himself the responsibility of this marriage contract, of the trousseau, and of the addition made to it, according to the restrictive usages of all marriage contracts, and the addition to them made for the daughters of Israel, according to the institution of our sages of blessed memory. It is not to be regarded as a mere forfeiture without consideration or as a mere formula of a document. We have followed the legal formality of symbolic delivery (kinyan) between ____, the son of ____, the groom, and ____, the daughter of ____, this virgin/divorcee/convert, and everything is valid and binding.

Attested to _______________ Witness

Attested to _______________ Witness