MARRIAGE:

1) Intense prayer can help a person to find his marriage partner (Likutey Moharan I, 9).

2) Dancing at a wedding sweetens the force of the harsh judgements in the world (32).

3) There are deep Kabbalistic reasons for the custom that the bride sends the groom a tallit, and for crying out `Shabbat' and making humorous remarks at the wedding celebration. There is also a deep significance in the other wedding customs, like covering the bride and pelting the groom with baked goods, interrupting the groom's Torah discourse and giving him a gift for his discourse, the custom of the entertainers' bending themselves over double, etc. There are awesome reasons for all of these things, and they express the will of God (See Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom 86).

4) When we acknowledge God and give Him praise, it has an influence which helps those who need to find their marriage partner to do so. The same is true when we study the legal codes (Likutey Moharan II, 2).

5) Immorality and abuse of the Covenant make it hard for a person to find his true marriage partner. The tikkun is by following the spiritual path explained in the Kabbalistic writings about the themes of the month of Elul (Ibid. 87).

6) When a person is unable to find his marriage partner, it can help if he goes to hear original Torah teachings from a man of deep wisdom (Likutey Moharan II, 89).

7) The reason for breaking a piece of earthenware at the marriage ceremony is to remind the groom of Gehennom in order to prevbent him getting trapped by his desires. He must sanctify himself in the marriage relationship. It is also a hint to him that if his wife turns out to be a bad woman he should still not maltreat her or divorce her. Because of her, he will never see hell. One should see to it that he never comes to the point of divorce (90. On the subject of breaking a piece of earthenware at a wedding, see also Likutey Moharan I, 60:8; II, 90).

ADVICE from RABBI NACHMAN
Online English translation of Likutey Etzot
A compendium of Rabbi Nachman's practical teachings on spiritual growth and devotion.
© AZAMRA INSTITUTE 5766 / 2006