Being that recently we celebrated Tu-Be’Av (15th of Av), being a day that many marriages were made on this day in the olden days, so we will say an interesting Halacha regarding marriage.
There is interesting Gemara Pesachim on page 49. The Gemara says, [listen to the audio clip for the exact quote,] that Rabbi Shimon taught, that a Chacham should not partake in any meal that’s not of Seudat Mitzvah (a festive meal with celebration of a Mitzvah). So the Gemara asks, what’s an example of such a Seuda where it is not for the purpose of a Mitzvah? So the Gemara answers, that a good example is when a daughter of a Kohen marries a Yisrael. So the Gemara then asks, what’s so bad about that? So the Gemara says, that Rabbi Yochanan taught, that it can ultimately be problematic. And then the Gemara continues to give a list of negative results [listen to the audio clip for the actual negativities,] when a Yisrael marries a daughter of a Kohen. So the Gemara asks further about this because we learnt to the contrary from one of Rabbi Yochanan’s previous statements. He had said that a person who attaches himself to the children of Kohen will become successful. So the Gemara concludes and explains as follows. If the man is Am Ha’Aretz (ignoramus), where he doesn’t keep Mizvot, and he doesn’t keep Shabbat, and where he doesn’t learn, then it is dangerous to get involved in marrying the daughter of a Kohen. However, if a person is a Talmid Chacham (learned), then to the contrary, it is a privilege to attach himself to the offspring of Aharon (Kohen family), and they will have a tremendous amount of success and Beracha.
The question is then asked whether this above Gemara has applicability in these times. Actually Maran, in ‘Eben HaEzer’, is Posek (holding) [listen to the audio clip for the exact quote,] that the above Gemara applies currently.
Chacham Ovadia Yosef in Yechave Daat discusses three levels in order to understand this Halacha and its practicality. He says that if a person learns everyday for at least an hour, and he’s involved in Torah and Mitzvot and Chesed, then he has nothing to worry about. It’s a Mitzvah for him to marry a daughter of a Kohen, and the Beracha of the Gemara will come true. But if it is the other extreme, where he is transgressor of Shabbat and he doesn’t follow the laws, that he should be careful and he should be advised not to marry the daughter of a Kohen. And lastly, if he is a regular guy, a regular businessman, and he reads a little, and maybe he doesn’t read at all, but he keeps the Mitzvot, and he is ‘religious’ (we will call it), then Chacham Ovadia says its ‘Parve.’ Which means the Beracha of wealth is not going to happen, but all the negativities that are written in the Gemara will also not happen. So therefore a regular guy that’s considered religious by our standard, it would be permissible for him to marry a daughter of a Kohen, however he’s not going to be privy to the Berachot that are written. But Am Ha’Aertz, as we said, should think twice. So here’s another incentive not to be Am Ha’Aretz.
