The Chief Rabbi of Beersheba, Rabbi Avraham Deri, cautioned that a public proposal in which a groom gives his intended bride a ring before witnesses could, in some circumstances, create a halachic marriage. He made the warning during a Monday conference convened by the Religious Services Ministry.
Deri, the nephew of Shas leader Aryeh Deri, said the act could fulfill the requirements of kiddushin under Talmudic law. These include the groom giving the bride a ring before two valid witnesses and declaring that she is consecrated to him “in accordance with the laws of Moses and Israel.”
He said the growing practice of incorporating a ring into a marriage proposal could, depending on the circumstances, constitute a formal wedding rather than simply a romantic gesture.
“If a proposed groom presents a ring to the bride before friends and relatives and later withdraws his offer, the situation could require the couple to obtain a get—a Jewish divorce issued in a religious court,” Deri said.
The ministry emphasized that the risk varies by case. Factors include the exact wording used, the manner in which the ring is presented or exchanged, the identity and validity of the witnesses, and any other relevant circumstances.
Anyone uncertain about the legal implications of a proposal should seek guidance from a rabbi or certified marriage registrar, the ministry advised.
Deri was speaking at a study day for rabbis, marriage registrars, and religious council members from southern Israel, hosted by the Beersheba Religious Council. Organizers said the event addressed both the complex halachic challenges facing the marriage system and its technological shortcomings.
Religious Services Ministry unveils national digital platform for marriage procedures
At the conference, the ministry introduced Shirat Hayam, a new national digital infrastructure designed to manage marriage procedures.
Marriage registrars tested the platform by opening and administering marriage files online, checking documents against government databases, synchronizing records with the Chief Rabbinate’s systems, digitizing documentation related to Jewish-status and relationship-status verification, and issuing secure digital certificates.
The ministry said the initiative is intended to make the marriage system more accessible, efficient, and technologically advanced while reducing bureaucracy and improving services for citizens.
“These innovative study days reflect our commitment to continuously improving the services provided to citizens,” said Rabbi Hizkiyahu Samin, director of the Religious Services Ministry’s Marriage and Rabbinate Division.
Halachic expertise and modern technology viewed as essential to reform
“Combining deep halachic expertise with advanced technological tools is an essential part of the work now under way,” Samin said. “The roundtables create an open forum for dialogue and for adapting solutions to changing field needs while implementing the most advanced tools available in the marriage system.”
The ministry said further study-day conferences will be held across the country as part of a broader “comprehensive renewal process.”