אֵרוּסִין, (אָרַס) betrothal, preliminary act of marriage, answering to the Roman sponsalia; promise in marriage, disting. fr. נישואין, or כניסה, marriage proper, the latter consisting in conducting the bride to the groom’s permanent (or improvised) home. [The betrothal carries with it almost all the legal consequences of marriage, excepting some modifications mostly of a civil (pecuniary) character, and is, according to Talmudic usage, preceded by a benediction (בִּרְכַת א׳), while the act itself is performed by the bride-groom (or his mandatary) delivering into the hands of the bride (or her mandatary, or her father, if she be a minor) an object representing any value not below the smallest coin (P’rutah), whereby the purpose of the delivery is stated and assented to by acceptance.] Keth. I, 2 אלמנה מן הא׳ a widow whose betrothed died before marriage proper. Ib. V, 1; a. fr. Yeb. 43ᵃ, a. fr. סעודת א׳ the repast following the betrothal.—Metaph. of the relation between Israel and God, covenant. Ex. R. s. 15, end; a. e.