חִתּוּן

The joining together [hischabrus] of two things is through melody [nigun] and musical instruments [klei shir]. And this is the dimension of the musical instruments that are played at the wedding [chatunah]. [Translator's note: This is a compressed but profound teaching. Marriage is the joining of two distinct souls into one. The medium of that joining is music — melody, which transcends the barrier between two separate entities and draws them into unity. Musical instruments at a wedding are therefore not merely celebratory decoration but the actual spiritual mechanism of the union.]