124. A chosson is called up to the Torah on the Shabbos before his wedding.1 This is called an Oifruf. When called up to the Torah, the chosson wears a Tallis over his shoulders but not over his head.2 The custom is that after the Aliyah the people in Shul shower the chosson with confectionery.3 A number of reasons are given for this Aliyah: a) The holy Zohar4 states that Shabbos blesses all the days of the week,5 b) A chosson and kallah keep the world going by bringing into the world children who learn Torah, and therefore he is called up to read from the letters of the Torah that sustain the Ten Utterances which create the world,6 c) The creation of the world is through Torah as it states in the Zohar that “G‑d looked into Torah and created the world”. Similarly each individual’s small world is created by looking into the Torah, and therefore before the chosson and kallah are about to build their world they look into the Torah,7 d) An Aliyah to the Torah draws down additional holy energy (in addition to the additional holiness of Shabbos) as it states in the text of the blessing after the Aliyah that “He has planted eternal life in our midst,” through G‑d’s giving us a Torah of truth. For true life — without interruption — is from the holiness of the True Torah which is infinite. Therefore by having an Aliyah on the Shabbos before the wedding, this empowers the wedding that it should be an everlasting edifice with blessed future generations, children and grandchildren who engage in Torah study and mitzvos through which the power of the infinite is revealed in the creation.8

125. There is great merit to having this Aliyah, if possible, in 770.9

126. It is customary to have a Kiddush/chassidishe farbrengen on the Shabbos of the Oifruf.10

The Days Before the Wedding

127. The Previous Rebbe instructed that a few days before the wedding (he did not detail how many days) a chosson should not be alone but he should be with a shomer.11

128. It is the custom that the chosson and kallah should not meet each other (and preferably not even speak on the phone)12 a week before the wedding.13

129. The kallah should immerse in a Mikvah before the wedding as required by halachah.14

130. Both the chosson and the kallah should review the halachos pertinent to the wedding night and thereafter, preferably in a one-to-one session with a chosson or kallah teacher.