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 Many people
have heard of and benefited from Rabbi Avigdor Miller's "Ten Commandments of Marriage."
Rabbi Avigdor Miller's commandments focussed on loyalty to one's spouse, and making
every effort to avoid cycles of hurt and resentment. Dating, however is a different
story. After all, why be loyal to someone who you may not marry? Isn't it better
to reject an unsuitable person before becoming married, than to learn to forgive
and overlook flaws? The dilemma is how can you tell if you are being wise and prudent
or picky and selfish? We therefore thought it might be helpful to suggest commandments
for dating, and this chapter is our attempt to distill some of the concepts we have
developed about relationships into useful guidelines.
Don’t you love it when a friend gets married and now believes that he/she now has
all of the answers to the Jewish dating scene? No one can truly relate to your unique
experiences: You are the only one who knows the limits and boundaries, the criteria,
and the anti-criteria. You have devised the formula and are not being too rigid:
It is this way because this is what works and this is what keeps you sane. And to
seriously try to find a mate in the Jewish dating scene and not lose all wits about
you, this is the way it will go.
the Jewish dater. There are no experts in the field of you. And I can only tell
you what I know from my own personal experience having been in the Jewish dating
scene from age 19 to 26, ultimately searching for a life partner. I am married now
to a wonderful man and have an adorable child and it is not because I cracked an
impossible Biblical code. If I had to break it down (which I honestly never did
before), it just happened when G-D and I deemed the person, the emotions and the
timing to be the right match.
This is your life. You will be waking up together, you will grow old together and
you will see each other through the highest of highs and lowest of lows. These are
all deep considerations. You have to love and respect this person and besides love,
this person must be your best friend. It will not work if two people are not in
sync on a zillion levels.
You must be able to argue with one another. ‘Come again,’ you say? You heard me
correctly. Scratch the notion that a perfect marriage does not involve conflict
or disagreement. The date you had the other night may have said “yes, certainly,
I couldn’t agree more” a thousand times, but do you really think she’ll always be
so compliant? That first squabble could determine how well you two interact and
how compatible you truly are. My husband and I know how to argue with one another
when we have to. We never go to bed angry because we communicate well to help us
resolve any issues that arise. We have an understanding that we agree to disagree.
We don’t live in fear or dread of the next time we won’t see eye to eye. We don’t
mind being somewhat at variance because we will talk it through and neither one
of us will ever shut the other one off, barring communication altogether. I’m not
telling you to pick a fight for the purpose of experimentation, just be prepared
for the inevitable speed bumps in Jewish dating and marriage and the road to a life
shared.
The Basics: Friendship and Commonalities Love is not enough to sustain a marriage.
The friendship element, which holds an implication of trust and the basic ability
to have fun together, is essential. When you just want support, advice or another
perspective, your spouse should be the confidante extraordinaire. They should be
the best of all possible people to turn to on most matters (sometimes the accountant
is better or the fitness trainer, but that is an entirely different essay topic…).
Friendship within the context of marriage also denotes basic commonalities, such
as religious denomination, political views, principles on the appropriate decorum,
and beliefs, whether it is in G-D or the necessity of daily exercise. You should
feel that more than a common ground, you have a solid foundation. Once again, you
won’t always agree on everything, but you should agree that you won’t always agree,
and feel comfortable with the disparities.
As your heart rate slows momentarily between caffeinated meetings in the Jewish
dating scene, you might conclude that no amount of advice is beneficial. Only you
truly know yourself. It goes without saying that the same is true for the people
you date. My single friends are all kind-hearted and benevolent people. They are
all bright, articulate, interesting, funny and attractive. But they are all complex
and find their complexities to be a hindrance in the Jewish dating scene. My husband
and I are also complex individuals by our own estimations and were considered that
way by the lucky people who dated us when we were single. Each person has their
unique quirks and characteristics that make it challenging to jibe with just anyone.
The Jewish dating jungle is a hard one to navigate, with a lot of twists and turns
and branches that snag at your Brooks Brothers pullover.
It makes you think:
Wouldn’t it be great if there were Cliffs Notes for the Jewish Dater so you could
ace dating?
Unfortunately, there are none. I do not profess to having ever figured out the Jewish
dating scene either. Do not let your married friends try to convince you that they
have the knowledge and foresight you are lacking. They will never get it, I will
never get it and you won’t either, even long after you are married and encouraging
your children to date. So just know that it’s a jungle, but it’s worth it.
To email a question to Shira please click
here
Other Articles
 JEWISH DATING: THE ART OF LISTENING
FOR JEWISH SINGLES
JEWISH DATING: INNER BEAUTY
IS THE REAL BEAUTY
Finding Your Beshert
The Rise, Fall and Subsequent
Rise of the Jewish Matchmaker, otherwise known as The Shadchan
“OnlySimchas” for Jewish Singles
Dating
Jewish Singles: Challenges for
Jewish Singles Dating today
Jewish Dating 101: You reached
the age for “Jewish Dating” for marriage, now what
Love and Beauty
Make your profile count
In The Ballpark
Are You in Love with Love?
How to Find Your Soul Mate:
Secrets from the Kabbalah
The Silent Revolution of the
Modern Era
To "Settle" or Hold Out for
Happily Ever After
‘My Matchmaker Ignored Me!’
And Other Ways I Can Empathize
Cliffs Notes for the Jewish
Dater
The Ten Commandments of Dating
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