00:02I think Orthodox just means following the Torah, what it says.
00:08Every experience that I go through has a piece of my religion in it.
00:12It always connects back to my religion.
00:14I just live my life surrounded by God.
00:17The Torah, the Jewish Bible, begins with the letter Bet and ends with the letter Lamed.
00:25Together, they spell the heart.
00:27This is the wedding story of Hadassah and Zev, a young Jewish Orthodox couple from Baltimore.
00:34In two days, they will be married.
00:38Judaism is practiced by nearly 14.4 million people.
00:42More than two-thirds of adult Orthodox Jews are married, compared to about half of other Jewish adults.
00:49Orthodox Judaism requires adherence to the ancient laws of the Torah in every aspect of life.
00:56Tradition is important.
01:01Yes, is the answer.
01:03It's a concept that may seem old-fashioned to the secular world.
01:07But here, it's a way of life.
01:09As fresh as homemade challah, a special Jewish bread.
01:14When you do the sugar, as you pour it in, just have a little intention.
01:17What do you think?
01:19Sweetness in life.
01:20Sweetness in life.
01:21I'm a person that really likes tradition.
01:24I think it gives a lot of clarity and it gives you connection.
01:28I think it's very special to do what people did before you.
01:31I'm just watching you. It's amazing.
01:35In two days, Hadassah is marrying a man she's never held hands with, let alone kissed.
01:41We started dating this past June.
01:47So, don't freak out, guys.
01:50I'm a religious Jew, so I don't really, like, talk to guys until I'm ready to date.
01:58Okay, Zev.
02:00The big day. Two more days.
02:02All right.
02:03As the big day quickly approaches, Zev makes final preparations.
02:08How often do women get their hair cut?
02:10I think four to six weeks.
02:12Yeah.
02:13Men and women don't really talk too much unless they're dating.
02:19We only date when we're ready to get married.
02:23I knew from the first date that I wanted to marry her.
02:25It was definitely love at first sight, at least for me.
02:30You know, he's pretty cute.
02:32For most Jewish couples, they don't see each other the week before the wedding.
02:35You write notes, you send gifts, but you don't talk.
02:39For Zev and Hadassah, absence makes the heart grow fonder
02:43and serves as a final opportunity to work on themselves as individuals.
02:51The tallit is a special prayer shawl worn by married men during morning prayer.
02:56The day before the wedding, Zev's father shows him how to tie it for the first time.
03:01Bruch Atah Hashem Elokeinu Melech Olam Asher Kiddushanu B'Metzfasad V'Tzivanu L'Hitateif Bat Tzitzis.
03:17Hadassah is so pure in her love for Hashem and her love for God.
03:23I see that and I want to be more. I want to do better. I want to be a better
03:28Jew.
03:29She's so great.
03:32I hope there's a lot of giggling in the marriage because that's an important thing.
03:37Do you giggle often together?
03:41Uh, sporadically.
03:45Whoa, you got a whole suite to yourself.
03:48According to the Jewish Orthodox faith, a couple's wedding day is one of the holiest days of their lives,
03:55and they are considered to be closer to God.
03:59Today is Hadassah's own personal Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement,
04:04and she is freed of all transgressions and wrongdoings,
04:08something the people in her community are here to honor.
04:13Because of her divine status on this day, she bestows and receives blessings from loved ones.
04:19It's here that she'll receive Zev and see him for the first time in seven days.
04:25But first, there are a few things he must agree to.
04:33It says in the contract, I will take care of her.
04:37I will support her.
04:40Um, all sorts of lovely things.
04:42But it does not say I will do the dishes.
04:45Oh, okay.
04:48Under Jewish law, the ketubah solidifies the promises Zev is making to his future wife.
04:56Laid to witness by more experienced generations.
05:02The bride and groom's mothers break a plate to make it legal.
05:09Zev is ready to meet his bride at the badecken, a traditional veiling ceremony.
05:21Zev veils Hadassah as a sign of respect to her modesty and privacy during this holy time.
05:29He offers her a blessing and his heart.
05:45The wedding ceremony begins under the chuppah, a marriage canopy which symbolizes the home they will grow together.
05:52The bride then circles the groom seven times to break down any walls or barriers between them.
05:59I think my perspective on marriage definitely has to do with my faith.
06:03The way we see people getting married is that their spouse is the other half of their soul.
06:12A shared sip of wine and a ring join them together.
06:16A broken glass seals the deal.
06:20When I get to hold my wife's hand for the first time, I will be jumping for joy.
06:32Surrounded by their friends, family and God, Hadassah and Zev are married at last.
06:39And finally, they can have some alone time.
06:43Behind closed doors, Hadassah and Zev spend their first 15 minutes alone in the Yehud, or Seclusion Room.
06:51An act that symbolizes their newly married state.
07:06Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome to our panelist, Mr. and Mrs. Stan and Hadassah McEwen.
07:22Although men and women dance separately to avoid touching the opposite gender,
07:26it's a requirement for all to bring joy to the bride and groom.
07:30A commandment the guests take very seriously.
07:39After today, Hadassah and Zev will have a special place in the community.
07:43What lies ahead is a series of firsts.
07:46And they will rely on their faith to guide them.
07:51Today's world is very topsy-turvy.
07:54And morals are a little skewed.
07:56In Jewish married life, we gain from the wisdom of the past.
08:00And it doesn't mean that we're not innovative.
08:03But it means that within the bounds of the past, we can move towards the future.
08:13There's a little...
08:14but here's the ten.
08:17We are not Lazos in this소리는.
08:18I love you.
08:19It is more neuen.
08:19It's the mimicry.
08:20Là-wi-
08:20Now let's sake how it's going.
08:21You are, I'm ready mike to go.
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