Shulchan Arukh Even HaEzer · Siman 64

Shulchan Arukh Even HaEzer 64 — English translation

Translation: Sefaria Community Translation. Section numbers match the Hebrew text above.

1. 1One who marries a virgin should celebrate with her for seven days, during which time he should not do any work or buy and sell in the marketplace. Rather he should eat, drink, and be happy with her. This applies whether he we previously married or not. (Rema: A bridegroom is forbidden from doing work, and is forbidden from going to the marketplace alone [Ran, chapter kama d'ktiv and pirkei rav Eliezer]).
2. 2One who marries a previously married woman is required to celebrate with her for three days, whether he was previously married or not. There are some who say that a man who was never married previously who marries a previously married woman needs to celebrate with her for seven days. (Rema: And the woman is able to absolve the requirement for her joy, Rabeinu Yeruchum, 22).
3. 3There are some who forbid marrying on erev shabbat or Sunday. It is a stringency put in place to prevent a violation of shabbat during the wedding feast. There are those who are lenient regarding this practice. The minhag is to marry women on erev shabbat, as long as the bridegroom prepares for the wedding feast for three days before the wedding. A place that does not have a beit din except on Monday and Thursday, a virgin should marry on Wednesday so that if there is a claim on her [someone claims she is still married], they can go to the beit din. The minhag of the wise ones was that one who was marrying a previously married woman should marry her on Thursday so that he could celebrate with her for three days - Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and return to work on Sunday. (Rema: There is a custom to only marry at the beginning of the month when the moon is getting fuller, Ran end of chapter arba mitot. See also yoreh deah siman 179)
4. 4If the bridegroom doesn't want to make a feast, but the bride does want to make a feast, compel the bridegroom to make a feast according to his honor and her honor.
5. 5Do not bring a virgin to the chupah on shabbat because it is by the chupah that [the bridegroom] merits her and her handiwork, and this is like making an acquisition on shabbat. A widow isn't aquired with a chupah. Only with by yichud shel biah (privacy for the amount of time necessary to have sex) does [the bridegroom] merit her and her handiwork. Therefore, [the bridegroom] needs to be alone with her before shabbat, so that there is not an acquisition on shabbat. (Rema: see also Orach Haim, siman 339).
6. 6Do not marry a woman on hol hamoed [the intermediate days of a holiday], neither a virgin, nor a previously married woman, nor a yibum [woman who is getting married via levirite marriage]. However, a man can remarry his ex-wife if they had done nisuin, but not if they had [only] done erusin.

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