One who was married in the past year and wore a kitel at his chupah does not wear it on the following Yom Kippur.
Why?
After writing that he has not found any reason or source for this custom, R. Moshe Shik (the Mahara"m Shik) suggests the following reason:
According to traditional Jewish law, one should get married at eighteen years of age. Now, Jewish law mandates that the proper age to be able to "handle his father's business" (i.e. fully mature and responsible) is at 20 years old (גיטין סה, א. שו"ע חו"מ סי' רל"ה ס"ט). Hence, at the arrival of Yom Kippur following his wedding, the young man is very likely to be 19 years old - not yet fully mature and responsible and "ready" for the kitel: A kitel is worn to either replicate angels or to arouse a "subdued" message the shroud-like garb conveys (שו"ע או"ח סי' ר"י ס"ד ברמ"א). Being that a young man of 19 does not need either message (due to his not yet mature state), he is absolved of wearing it. This was enacted to encourage the Jewish matrimonial age of 18.
שו"ת מהר"ם שי"ק או"ח סי' כ"ח
וכן בקובץ "יגדיל תורה" (תשמ"ג ע' י"א - הובא ב"נטעי גבריאל יו"כ ע' קמ"ו הע' י) מובא בשם האדמו"ר מוהריי"ץ שהורה כן
See here and here
I remember reading, possibly in Sefer Hatodaah d'Rabbi Eliyahu KiTov, that it had to do with the Tachrichim you mentioned as reason B: (Capitalize) In deference to the Chosson's Simcha for the entire first year of his marriage he is exempt from wearing tachrichim a second time...
ReplyDeletethat's an interesting reason - any source?
ReplyDeleteI don't get the last line: "This was enacted to encourage the Jewish matrimonial age of 18." What is this saying?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous: it means that the reason that the year after the marriage we make a public display that shows how one should be married at 18 was to encourage this practice. By making a recognizable mark the year after the marriage which leads to inquiries and eventual understanding that it's due to the Jewish matrimonial age, this encourages ti and publicizes it.
ReplyDeleteSource for Avi's "vort:"
ReplyDeleteטעמי המנהגים ח"ב עניני פסח סעי' תק"ג בשם "איזה ספר"
There he explains that being that the Chosson is supposed to "gladden his wife for a full year," it is not befitting to wear shroud-like garments.