Avigdor Gavish, the groom, stood underneath his chuppah without his parents, David and Rachel, who were killed in a terror attack. So too the bride, Ayelet Dickstein, who also lost her parents, Yosef and Chani, in a terror attack. These two orphans of terror were married last night, and when he spoke underneath his chuppah, Avigdor returned to the 12 tribes, to their ancient inheritances within the Land of Israel, to the destruction of the Temple, and to its rebuilding:
"From the territory of Joseph, the evil began. Father David and mother Rachel are murdered. And from the other side, in the south of the country, in the territory of Judah, father Joseph and mother Chani are murdered. Kingdom touches kingdom, mingling and shattering into pieces. Unthinkable, unfathomable sights. I saw a fox walking out of my home, and all of me wept.
And I saw the covenant that had been made between us and I smiled: 'If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its cunning.' For many days, I read this verse with yearning and with tears. When will I be able to fulfill it? I walked around with a feeling that it was promised. You promised that You would gather, that You would watch over, that you would be here.
And behold! After many days, the house of father David and father Yosef meet again, this time to build our very own home. And the covenant is pulsing and alive. Today we reestablish our destroyed home, rebuilding one of the ruins of Jerusalem. With the grace of God and great Providence, we give thanks for this miracle. We give thanks for the wonderful people we have met on the way to our home. We give thanks to friends who are close to our heart. We give thanks to our beloved brothers and sisters and their families. And we request at this time to share the light we have been granted and to bless with health those who seek healing. To bless with a partner in life those who seek love, and they should be blessed and merit salvation. Bo'ee kallah, come my bride. Wear your garments of glory. Come to my house, to our house."
Mazal tov!
Translated by JewishMOM.com
