G‑d’s Attendance at Adam and Chava’s Wedding
We must understand why we make the blessing of “…Who has created all things for His glory” at a wedding. What is the singular connection between G‑d’s glory and a wedding? In other words, why don’t we make mention at other events in a person’s life that they are for “His glory”; why only at a wedding do we recite, “…Who has created all things for His glory”?
This question is posed by our greatest commentators, who provide any number of answers:
Rashi1 answers that the blessing is recited on account of “the assembly of people who have congregated to perform an act of kindness, commemorating G‑d’s kindness to Adam by becoming his shushvin and concerning Himself with him. This assembly then is G‑d’s glory.”
This means that the blessing does not relate to the wedding itself, but to the assemblage and gathering of people who are in attendance in honor of the wedding, which adds to G‑d’s glory by reminding us that G‑d, too, attended the wedding of Adam and Chava.
As related in the Gemara regarding the wedding of Adam and Chava:2 “G‑d served as Adam’s shushvinin.” G‑d, Himself — without engaging the agency of an emissary or an angel — attended the wedding and served as the shushvinin. The assemblage at a wedding thus reminds us of G‑d’s kindness in serving as Adam’s shushvinin.
We must, however, still understand:
[Throughout Jewish history,] G‑d Himself participated in other events and did not avail Himself of the agency of an emissary.3 Why do we only remember G‑d’s kindness with the blessing “created for His glory” at a wedding, and not at other events?4
A Wedding Is to Be “For His Glory”
We therefore perceive that there is something unique about mentioning “His glory” specifically at a wedding.
One can easily be mistaken into thinking that the need to marry is not related to “His glory” at all, but for human reasons — natural, physical and moral:
a) Natural. The need and desire to marry is natural for both male and female; b) Physical. It is much easier for a person to lead a happy and successful life when he doesn’t live his life alone but shares it with his mate; and c) Moral. Human ethics and morality demand that a person marry and establish a home so that he can have children and guarantee the continuity of his species. There are additional conventional reasons for marriage as well.
We therefore commence the blessings of Sheva Berachos with the blessing of “…Who has created all things for His glory,” in order to instruct bride and groom that their marriage is to be for “His glory” — for the sake of performing G‑d’s commandments and building a faithful Jewish home with sons and daughters who are true to their faith. Their marriage is not for the glory of humans or for the mere purpose of fulfilling their physical needs.
Following the above path is the best and surest guarantee that the marriage will be successful.
The only course that has withstood the test of time in assuring a successful and blessed marriage and success in raising children is a marriage that is based on “His glory.” This has been amply demonstrated by the successful and happy marriages of the Jewish people throughout their long course of history.
Those who only married out of physical requirements and desires have not historically succeeded throughout the generations to conduct such happy and successful married lives as did those who also based their marriages on the Divine commandment that they do so.5
King David expresses it thusly in Tehillim:6 “If G‑d will not build the home, the builders will labor for naught.”
“If G‑d will not build the home”; i.e., if the home is not constructed by G‑d (and consequently, for G‑d’s sake and purpose), then all who endeavor to build their homes solely by their own power and intellect will labor in vain. All their efforts will end up being futile and fruitless and not produce satisfactory results.
Both Physical and Spiritual Are “For His Glory”
There is yet a deeper meaning to the blessing of “…Who has created all things for His glory”:7
One can easily assume that G‑d’s glory finds expression exclusively in spiritual and sacred matters such as studying Torah and performing mitzvos. In addition, one may wrongly assume that when one is occupied in his physical affairs, such as eating and drinking, earning a livelihood, and the like — even when they are not done out of physical desire but because G‑d has so commanded — this brings G‑d no glory.
A wedding, too, can be thought of as incapable of adding to G‑d’s glory, even though it is an absolute necessity and a Divine command, for how can something so physical as getting married possibly serve as a vehicle to enhance G‑d’s glory?
We therefore commence the wedding blessings with “…Who has created all things for His glory,” in order to teach us that “all things,” i.e., each and every thing, physical as well as spiritual — married life included — augment G‑d’s glory.
Being Occupied With the Physical
Is an Expression of G‑d’s Desire
But truly, how can our occupation with physical matters add to G‑d’s glory?
This is accomplished when a person knows that his occupation with material matters — earning a living and the like — is to be done not only out of physical necessity, but because this is an actual component of G‑d’s desire. Indeed, G‑d wants the world to be conducted in a natural manner and for a Jew to occupy himself in material matters.
[After all, G‑d can do whatever He wants. Should He so desire, man would receive his daily bread effortlessly, similar to the manna that descended from heaven and required no effort on the part of the Jewish people. Were this to be so, man would not be preoccupied with earning a living and he would be free to study Torah and perform mitzvos from morning to night. G‑d, however, desires that a Jew occupy himself in physical matters as well.]
Nevertheless, along with man’s physical preoccupation, he must remember and reveal that “all things were created for His glory” — not only spiritual matters, but physical and material matters as well.
Imbuing the Physical With Sanctity
There are two sayings used by our Sages regarding our occupation with materiality:
“All your actions should be for the sake of Heaven”;8 and “Know Him in all your ways.”9
These two sayings are actually two stages in one’s Divine service:
1) “All your actions should be for the sake of Heaven.” There is no inherent G‑dliness and spirituality in performing physical actions in and of themselves. Their spiritual benefit is only derived from their outcome, i.e., that the actions are performed “for the sake (of Heaven).” At this stage, the Jew merely utilizes physical matters for a spiritual purpose; the physical matters themselves, however, are not G‑dly.
For example, earning a living is not inherently G‑dly and spiritual. Nonetheless, a Jew uses his hard-earned money only for good and holy purposes: maintaining a home that is permeated with a Jewish atmosphere, raising one’s children to live by the Torah and be G‑d-fearing, giving tzedakah, and the like.
2) “Know Him in all your ways.” It is possible that within physicality itself, i.e., “your ways,” one should “know Him,” i.e., to imbue physicality itself with G‑d’s glory. That means that not only are the results of one’s occupation in physical affairs utilized toward a spiritual end, but holiness and sanctity are found within the physical itself.
The Shabbos meal serves as an example: The physical meal, its food and drink, is itself a mitzvah. Not only are the spiritual aspects of Shabbos (Kiddush, prayers, and the like) a mitzvah on Shabbos, but physical delights (such as eating, sleeping, and the like) turn into mitzvos during Shabbos when performed for the sake of Shabbos.
This, then, is the deeper meaning of the blessing “all things were created for His glory”; that within everything, physical matters included, G‑d’s glory should be found.10
Sanctifying Marriage
Herein lies the special connection between the blessing of “all things were created for His glory” and a wedding:
Before one gets married, one can be totally immersed in Torah and occupy oneself predominantly with spiritual matters — Torah study and the like — without having to go out into the world and earn a living.
Once the person is married, however, he will, by and large, have the responsibility of earning a living and will have to leave his spiritual milieu and occupy himself with material matters.
Thus, at the time of a wedding, bride and groom are informed that “all things were created for His glory,” that one’s bond and connection with G‑d is not limited to those instances when he can devote himself exclusively to spiritual matters. While earning a living as well, a person is capable of and expected to remember G‑d and enhance His glory.