Under the cover of the Corona virus, the Israeli government prohibits couples from marrying: In a letter sent by the Director of the Religious Services Division at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Rabbi Hezkiyahu Samin, to marriage bureaus in Israel, he clarifies that weddings are only possible when the two couples live within a thousand meters of each other.
In his letter, the director of the department explained that the exceptions given for holding weddings and funerals were not given for weddings: "According to the above regulations, 'it is prohibited to leave one's place of residence or other permanent place of residence to the public space, except for 21 activities or purposes for which leaving the public space is permitted. Among the permitted purposes, the possibility of participating in or holding a wedding was not mentioned. Therefore, as a general rule, holding a wedding and/or participating in a wedding is not permitted according to the regulations.".
According to him, only if both spouses live within the same 1000-meter radius, the wedding is not held at a 'place of residence' and is held under 'gathering' restrictions, only then can the wedding be held.
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""Regarding the rabbi conducting the chuppah, if it is a rabbi who is not in an official position - as above, his place of residence must be within a radius of 1000 meters from the wedding venue.".
""However, if it is a rabbi who is in an official position as a city/neighborhood/regional/settlement rabbi and arrives to conduct the chuppah as part of his duties, then there is no 1,000-meter limit, in light of what is stated in the regulations: 'The arrival of an employee, a job candidate or a candidate for selection procedures, to a workplace where he is permitted to work according to all law.'".
