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Vayetze: Ch. 29 Vs.23

Why do some communities sing "hi-la-la-la, hi-la-la-la" at weddings?

וַיְהִ֣י בָעֶ֔רֶב וַיִּקַּח֙ אֶת־לֵאָ֣ה בִתּ֔וֹ וַיָּבֵ֥א אֹתָ֖הּ אֵלָ֑יו וַיָּבֹ֖א אֵלֶֽיהָ׃

When evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to him; and he cohabited with her.

Yakov's wedding with Leah took place on Friday night, at the time of Kabbalat Shabbat.

The townspeople started singing, slurring the words “Hi Lea! Hi Leah! ... hi la la hi la la..” as if to warn Yakov that he was marrying Leah, not Rachel.

But Yakov thought that they were merely tra-la-la-ing a local tune.

This is the source of the custom in some communities to sing this at weddings.

(Yalkut Reuveni, Bereshit Rabbah)

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