One of the most popular Jewish sites on the Internet today now has a new section devoted entirely to Judaism's take on love, relationships and the ultimate act of devotion, getting married. Jewish Marriage-Becoming One, which can be found at www.Chabad.org/Marriage, represents an attempt by the staff at Chabad.org to tap into the cultural fascination with marriage and educate readers as to what Jewish tradition has to say when it comes to pairing off for life.

The launch of the new section corresponds with "Tu B'Av" (the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Av), the day in 1188 BCE that Jewish tradition marks as the end of a civil war between the tribe of Benjamin and the rest of the Jewish people. A decree banning intermarrying with the tribe was then lifted. (The Talmud specifies a number of reasons for this extraordinary joy.)

The Talmud relates that the joy of Tu B'Av – which falls out on Monday, July 30, this year – exceeds that of any other holiday on the Jewish calendar.

RELATED

"Tu B'Av is the only marriage-oriented holiday," says Rabbi Naftali Silberberg, editor of the Jewish marriage site. His comments are even borne out by modern practice, as many Israelis choose the day for their wedding nuptials.

And so it is that those immersed in wedding preparations, or more than a little curious about finding a soul-mate, can log on to the new site and peruse a wealth of material, from rabbinical advice to a wedding handbook outlining all of the traditional elements of a marriage ceremony, complete with a checklist and guidelines. There's even a section devoted to married life itself.

One article details a question posed to Rabbi Aron Moss, who teaches in Sydney, Australia, from a woman whose boyfriend is ready to get married. For some reason, she has doubts.

"Something is holding me back, and I can't put my finger on it," the anonymous woman writes. "Sometimes I think, if he's my soul-mate, why do I have doubts?"

Moss' advice is rooted in Jewish teachings, a heavy dose of psychology and more than a smattering of common sense.

"Maybe he is indeed your soul-mate," he answers, "and there is something within you that is making you hesitate. … Maybe the problem is him. Nobody's perfect, so there must be things about him that you don't really like, but over time you have learned to overlook them."

In the end, though, "if the problem is not in him, and not in your relationship, but in you – your fears and past experiences – then you need to liberate yourself from them," writes Moss. "You will be free to love, and most of all, you will find your soul-mate. And maybe your soul too."

The Right Time

According to Sara Esther Crispe, editor of TheJewishWoman.org, a Chabad.org specialty site, the launch of a site completely dedicated to all things matrimonial fills a growing need she's noticed in her own Internet venture.

Launched in 2006, The Jewish Woman has logged quite a bit of questions dealing with relationship advice and marriage issues, says Crispe. In addition, she says, much can be done to combat rising intermarriage rates with something as simple as educating a knowledge-hungry public.

Some of Crispe's material, including essays she wrote dealing with pre-wedding jitters and Torah's views on spousal abuse, can now be found in the wedding section, too.

For his part, Silberberg stresses the user-friendly nature of The Jewish Wedding-Becoming One. It contains a virtual library so full of information, he says, that a visitor who wants "an immersive experience" may spend many days or even weeks reading it all. At the same time, the editor claims, articles are organized by subject so clearly that the uninitiated person looking for quick information on marriage customs, say, in advance of a wedding she's been invited, to will be able to find the right essay as easily as the college student researching Kaballah's take on male-female relationships.

And in an effort to create a dialogue with readers, "every article has a comment section where people can express their thoughts," says Silberberg.

The rabbi adds that plans to expand the site are already in the works. Soon, visitors will be able to print out explanatory handouts as well as a color-coded wedding planning kit.

"There are no prerequisites to come to this site," he emphasizes. "No matter what your Jewish knowledge is, you'll find useful information here."