Where should the ketubah be after the wedding?

Greetings, 

The custom in all Sephardic communities, and also in some Ashkenazi communities, is that the bride does not keep the ketubah in her home, but gives it to her mother or to one of her relatives for safekeeping. However, there are Ashkenazim who have the custom of keeping the ketubah in the couple's home. 

Sources: The basis of this matter is explained in the responsum of the Rashbash (siman 320), who wrote that it is not proper for the wife's ketubah to be kept in the husband's possession, since the entire purpose of the ketubah is so that she will not be light in his eyes to be divorced; and since the ketubah is in the husband's possession, if she annoys him he may tear it up, and she will be light in his eyes to be divorced and he will send her away without anything. This is also written in Knesset HaGedolah, Even HaEzer (siman 66, glosses to Tur, note 8), that the ketubah should not be given to the groom, but to the bride and her relatives, and that this was also instituted by Rabbi Moshe Capsali z"l in Candia, as the accepted custom throughout Israel. Likewise, in Sefer Yad Aharon (Even HaEzer there, glosses to Tur, note 12), based on the above words of the Rashbash, it says that the ketubah should not be given to the groom, but to the bride or her relatives. So too is the accepted custom throughout Israel. Likewise, in Sefer Erekh HaShulchan, Even HaEzer (siman 66, note 4), the words of the Rashbash are brought as halacha. And so too in Sefer Yalkut Yosef - Chuppah and Kiddushin (chapter 9, section 25), it states that the ketubah should be given to the bride's mother or to one of her relatives, and they keep it in their home, not in the home of the groom and bride. As for the Ashkenazi custom, it is true that in Sefer Shulchan HaEzer, part 2 (page 46a), it is written that in the Holy City the custom is to give the ketubah to the bride's father or to the bride's relatives. Likewise, see Sefer Birur Halacha, part 5 (page 423, in an article by Rabbi Moshe Sheinberger shlit"a), who cites several Torah scholars among the elders of Jerusalem, that such was the custom in the Holy City, that the bride's father kept the ketubah with him during his lifetime. Likewise, in Sefer Peninei Nisuin (page 83), it is brought that he heard from Rav Ovadia Auerbach shlit"a that the custom in the home of the Gr"sh Elyashiv zt"l, in accordance with his instruction, was that the ketubah was not kept in the couple's home but in the wife's parents' home, because if the ketubah were in the couple's home, it would be easy in his eyes to divorce her, since at any time the husband could tear up the ketubah. He further brought that the ketubah of the Gr"sh Elyashiv zt"l was kept for all the years in the home of his father-in-law, the righteous Rabbi Aryeh Levin zt"l. However, it is brought there that he heard from Gr"sh Elyashiv that if the woman hides the ketubah in their home in such a way that the husband will not be able to find it, that is acceptable. See also in Sefer Mishpat HaKetubah, part 7 (page 74), in the name of Rav Yitzchak Zilberstein shlit"a, that such was his own practice, and that this is the custom. However, this is not an agreed-upon custom among Ashkenazim, since in Responsa Igrot Moshe, Even HaEzer, part 3 (siman 26), he wrote: regarding where the ketubah should be kept, the ketubah should preferably be with the woman in the place where she keeps her belongings, since it is the husband's document; and if she trusts the husband to keep it for her and give it to her whenever she asks, even if it should happen that they would need to divorce because of disputes, Heaven forfend, she may place it in his keeping. See there further in his words. It is clear that he did not know of the custom to deposit the ketubah with the wife's relatives. Likewise, see also Responsa Mishneh Halachot, part 9 (siman 295), which disagrees with Igrot Moshe and holds that the woman does not even need to place the ketubah among her belongings, but may even place it in a location from which her husband could take it. It is clear that he too did not know of this custom of placing the ketubah with the bride's relatives. Likewise, see also in Sefer Menachah LeChaim (siman 15, note 23), where he asked Rav Chaim Kanievsky shlit"a: I heard several opinions about where the ketubah is kept after the wedding (with the bride's parents, in the home of the groom and bride, and so on); how should one conduct oneself למעשה? and he answered, as you wish. 

With blessing, 

Hillel Meirs