In the summer of 2004, Andrew and Sharon became engaged and asked me, their rabbi from Chabad of Bel Air, CA if I would officiate at their wedding ceremony on December 5, 2004. I was so happy for them, I answered, “OF COURSE, as long as you meet the 4 basic requirements of a Jewish wedding, I would be honored.“

1) You are both Jewish.
2) The bride will go to the mikvah prior to the wedding.
3) The food at the wedding will be kosher;
4) Neither are still married to another person. If so they must obtain a Get (Jewish Divorce).

Both smiled, and were delighted, because nothing would stop them now. The wedding was set as planned. UNTIL........

During a private conversation Sharon confided in me that she was once married to a Jewish guy, (who she refers to as "the mistake"), but it was only for six hours, and the courts gave her an annulment immediately .... due to the terrible actions of the "mistake."

I could feel knots forming in my stomach. How could I tell her the last
thing on earth she wants to hear? I began saying, "Please understand that what I am going to tell you, may surprise you, but you still need a Get. Six hours or six years is still considered a marriege."

"BUT THE COURTS ANNULLED MY MARRIAGE! Rabbi .. please understand, IT WAS A MISTAKE."

Sharon, who never ever wanted to revisit her past, let alone have
contact with "the mistake", couldn't believe what I said. I was polite but firm, "I want to do your wedding, but please understand I can't do it until you get a Get (Jewish Divorce)."

"Rabbi what if I can't find ‘the mistake?’ Am I doomed forever?"

"Please, let's not fall into any gloom and doom. I will be there for you. Let's contact the Jewish courts in Los Angeles, and they will help us through this dilemma."

I explained to both Sharon and Andrew that nothing happens without a
reason. “The fact that you need a Get today shows that something important happened in Sharon's life, even if it lasted only for six hours.”

Sharon would not allow her wedding to be stopped due to her ‘mistake.’ She continued to plan her wedding and honeymoon.

After spending a few weeks with the Jewish Courts in Los Angeles, Sharon finally received her get, was free from "the mistake", until the Jewish courts told her, "Now you can marry, but not before 92 days from today.”

WHAT???? Sharon and Andrew immediately called me; "are they crazy? Is this true? Will you not do our wedding on December 5th?"

I calmly explained to them Jewish law, and tried to explain to them
why there is a 92 day wait. All they could think about was, their wedding plans, their honeymoon, their BASHERT! For days, they didn't understand why they would have to wait for January 2005 to get married.

After a few days, both Andrew and Sharon called me and said that they wanted to do what was right in G-d's eyes; so they began replanning their wedding for the end of January.

But still in the back of their mind, they couldn't understand why G-d was delaying their wedding. Well, not until December 26th. You see, Andrew and Sharon were supposed to be on their last days of their three week honeymoon in the famous Kaafu Atoll Maldives hotels: on Lankanfushi Island. Their hotel room would be swept up by the tsunami.

Both Sharon and Andrew celebrated 'their miracle' on January 1st, with a special Kiddush in our shul. As Andrew said, “Best advice the Rabbi ever gave us, was to follow the rules of G-d's Torah and it will be a blessing in the end for the both of you!"

On January 23rd, Andrew & Sharon celebrated their wedding. May G-d bless them with years of happiness and health together.