Seudas Aniyim – Feeding the Poor While You Celebrate

There is a wonderful old tradition of hosting a parallel meal for the poor at the same time as we are celebrating our own wedding.  This is called a Seudas Aniyim – lit. a meal for the poor.  In simpler times this meal took place at the same time and in the same venue as the wedding itself. While things are no longer so simple, it is still a huge mitzvah – not to mention an auspicious start to a new marriage – to host a meal for the poor in Jerusalem on the very day of one’s wedding. Ideally a Seudas Aniyim would include as many indigent diners as there are guests the wedding itself.