Middot U’Mitzvot (Character and Deeds) The Matchmaker In Hebrew, a match between a man and a woman is called a shidduch (שידוך). Finding a shidduch for someone else is considered to be a great mitzvah (good deed). It is a responsibility that the whole Jewish community takes seriously—after all, the future of the nation depends upon successful matches. Everyone remembers the matchmaker from the movie Fiddler on the Roof. A matchmaker is called a shadkan (שרכן). A person with a special talent for matchmaking is referred to as a shadkan, but it is not a field reserved exclusively for professionals. Everyone in a community is supposed to be keeping an eye out for potential matches. It is such a serious duty that even the great rabbis are known for keeping notes concerning potential mates for the purpose of making matches. It may be true that opposites attract, but they don’t stick together very well. A successful shadkan looks for mutual compatibility. He tries to match people on the basis of personality, disposition and character as well as watching for similar family backgrounds, values, social and economic standing. It’s not an easy job, but it’s an important one. The responsibility of making matches is so important and so difficult that the rabbis claimed that God Himself has been occupied with the matter ever since creation. In the small and splintered world of Messianic Judaism, every person needs to contribute to the effort of matchmaking.
Posted on: Wed, 23 Oct 2013 13:46:41 +0000
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