Klal Yisroel has a rich history, going way back, of the Kallah providing the Chosson a dowry. Where does this tradition stem from? Is it pure halacha?
And in contemporary Jewish society, what is a typical dowry? I know the Kallah’s wedding expenses are generally greatly more than the Chosson, as she pays for the wedding hall, etc.
In “All for the Boss” ruchama Shain relates that her father’s mother objected to her mother because her parents could not afford a dowry. Rav Herman got around it by giving her brother $1,000 (a substantial sum in those days) to give to them for the dowry.