Be’er Sheva chief rabbi warns of risks of ring proposals
In Israel, Be’er Sheva Chief Rabbi Avraham Deri said that a public marriage proposal involving the presentation of a ring may, under certain circumstances, be considered the conclusion of a marriage under Jewish religious law. In that case, if the couple separates, a religious divorce — a get — may be required.
Conditions for a religious marriage
As The Jerusalem Post reports, Deri made the statement on Monday at a conference of the Ministry of Religious Services. He drew attention to the modern practice of marriage proposals involving the presentation of a ring in the presence of friends and relatives.
The rabbi explained that giving a ring in the presence of witnesses may meet the conditions of kiddushin, the religious-legal procedure for concluding a marriage in Jewish tradition. Among these conditions, he named a man giving a ring to a woman in the presence of two qualified witnesses and declaring her consecrated by the ring in accordance with the laws of Moses and Israel.
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According to Deri, under such conditions, a gesture that a couple perceives merely as a romantic proposal may in some cases have the consequences of a full marriage. If the man subsequently withdraws the proposal, the couple may need to arrange a get in a religious court.
They advise taking the circumstances into account
The Ministry of Religious Services clarified that the assessment of each case depends on specific details: the words spoken, the manner in which the ring was given, the presence and status of witnesses, as well as other circumstances. In case of doubt, the ministry recommended consulting a rabbi or a certified marriage registrar.
Deri spoke at a training event for rabbis, marriage registrars, and representatives of religious councils in southern Israel, organized by the Be’er Sheva Religious Council. The conference also presented the national digital system Shirat Hayam for handling marriage-related procedures, including opening cases, checking documents, and issuing secure digital certificates.
