Calling a groom to the Torah – Ask the Rabbi
Q. Why do we call a bridegroom to the Torah?
A. According to Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer, when King Solomon built the Temple he wanted it to be a place of lovingkindness. Therefore he installed two special gates in the building, one for bridegrooms and one for mourners. On Shabbat the congregation would sit near these gates and when a bridegroom entered they said, “May He who dwells in this house cause you to rejoice”; when a mourner entered they prayed that God might console him. When the Temple was destroyed, these customs were adapted to the new circumstances and congregations continued to show lovingkindness by appropriately receiving grooms and mourners respectively.
