A Nice Day In Beverly Hills

Under the courthouse heart-shaped chuppah

He may have been the deputy judicial officer, but I started calling him Rabbi Gordon mid-way through the courthouse ceremony. It may have been the way he explained the meaning of vows, not just marital, but the vows we make every day to keep our promises. It may have been the way he teased the former Bar Mitzvah boy, smiled and gestured and enjoyed himself. The clincher came at the end, when he pronounced Billy and Chloe married, and I said, "Mazel tov!" In that moment, he asked, "Did I just hear mazel tov?" "You certainly did." "Well," he said, turning even more rabbinical before our eyes, "do you know what mazel tov means?" Oy vey, a quiz. Still, I felt pretty confident. "Mazel means good -- " I didn't even get to "tov." He cut me off right there. "Tov means good. Mazel means..." Here he pointed to the heavens. "Dripping down from above... from the constellations. When we say mazel tov, we're giving a blessing. May this drip of inspiration from your soul above have a positive and lasting effect... In other words, good mazel!" "Who knew?" I said. On our way out, I added, "Thank you, Rabbi. That was very hamish."

Billy and Chloe après le mariage