Why Is It Necessary?
The main part of the ketubah outlines the duties that the husband has to the wife during their marriage and the amount of monetary compensation that he will give her in case of divorce. The basic form of the ketubah we have now dates from the Talmudic or latter Gaonic period after the exile of the Jews from the Land of Israel in the year 70 c.e.
The Talmud writes that in ancient days men would marry women and if they wanted to divorce them they would do this with no monetary obligations to their wives. The Talmud felt that this gave men the power to marry a woman and too easily divorce her, moving on to another wife. The rabbis felt that to be sure the groom was sincere in his desire to marry, to be sure he would think twice about the gravity of marriage, and to be sure the wife who might not have a livelihood was provided for, a ketubah contract should always be written.
You will keep your ketubah for a long time. If it is a decorated ketubah, it will probably hang on the wall of your home. Be sure to bring a pen or felt tip marker that will not fade for the witnesses to use to sign the ketubah. If you prefer, select a pen whose ink will match the text's color.
The ketubah also ensured that the obligations men had to provide for their wives, to respect them and satisfy them, were clearly delineated and obligated of them in written legal form. The ketubah for its day was a wondrous and innovative protection device for wives who may not have had much power in relationships.
Obligations
The ketubah contains provisions for the wife in case of divorce, but it also outlines a husband's obligations to his wife during the marriage. Though wives also have obligations to their husbands, it seems the rabbis felt it was the man whose obligations needed to be clearly spelled out and made legally binding, perhaps because women had less power.
The traditional ketubah that is agreed upon by the groom at the tish just before the wedding and signed by witnesses states that the husband must provide his bride with food, clothing, and shelter, and that he will meet her sexual needs. He is also implicitly agreeing to do work around the house as is customary in their locale for husbands to do. Indeed, the Torah itself not only obligates a man to honor his wife and provide for her but also to engage in sexual intimacy with her if she so desires at regular intervals during the time of month in which it is permitted.
Alimony
The ketubah states that in case of divorce or the death of the husband, the husband agrees to pay his wife 200 zuz, an ancient measure of silver, if it is the bride's first marriage, and any additional extra funds that he obligates himself to. If it is the bride's second marriage the amounts are lessened. This money can be exacted, as it is written in the ketubah, even “from the shirt that is on his back.”
Since the ketubah is a legal and binding document, it also contains the date on which it is signed and the signatures of two witnesses who are present at the time the husband agrees to the terms of the ketubah. Because the rabbis required the ketubah for the wife's protection, they enacted a Jewish law that without a written and signed ketubah the husband was forbidden to live with his wife, thus ensuring that she would have her ketubah and the monetary protection it afforded her as long as they lived together.
