HaGaon HaRav Bentzion Mutzafi Shlita, a senior posek for the Sephardi kehilla, responded to a question posed to him by one of his talmidim regarding a chasenah in Elul.
The question seems to stem from a recent chasenah. Last week, HaGaon HaRav Eliyahu Abba Shaul instructed talmidim of his yeshiva, Ohr L’Tzion, not to attend a chasenah of another talmid because it is in Elul.
Rav Mutzafi began, נער הייתי וגם זקנתי and I have seen many greats get married in Elul, including Rabbeinu Bentzion Aton, Rabbeinu HaChossid Tzadka Chutzin, Rabbeinu Chizkiyahu Shabtai, Rabbi Yehoshua Shabtai, Rabbeinu Ephraim HaKohen (elder mekubal), Rabbeinu Yissocher Abuaziz, Rabbeinu Meir Vaknin, Rabi Refael Abu, Rabbeinu Shalom Mizrachi, Rabbeinu Bentzion Chazan [who served as the Ben Ish Chai’s right hand], ZT”L ZY”A and may we be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Good Life”.
The rav added, “Everyone was encouraged, everyone was happy, and everyone blessed them, whether a simply bochur or a Torah great, having a chasenah and building a ‘bayis Neeman b’Yisrael’, and they would come with great joy to participate in the ceremony to dance and rejoice, as if it was one’s own son.”
The posek summed up his words and wrote: “We never heard, did not say, and did not prevent us from marrying a woman on any date, and all the more so in Elul, but we were encouraged to speed up the process and get married.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)