Halachic Engagement
Question
Devolev
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Answers
Some families sign a contract, what are known as the Tenaim – meaning “conditions” – that delineates the obligations of each side regarding the wedding and a final date for the wedding. According to some authorities they are Halachically binding and they cannot be broken. In some extreme cases the couple actually marry and divorce rather than end up in a somewhat grey Halachic area. Outside of the Chassidic World most others write the Tenaim at the wedding reception an hour or so before the marriage.
However, according to all opinions even if the Tenaim were not yet written there is a verbal commitment from both sides to marry and that also carries Halachcic weight (although it is not regarded as a formal Halachic agreement) and ending an engagement can have Halachic repercussions for the side instigating the breakup.
Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team