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Why does the Gemara (גמרא) require shkihta (checking for virginity) for three days instead of combining one day of shkihta with ta'anas pesulah? The Maharsha develops a principle that delays for the woman's benefit forfeit her right to mezonos, while delays for the husband's benefit preserve it. However, this principle faces strong challenges from the continuation of the Gemara.
The shiur analyzes a complex passage in Kesubos 2a dealing with the laws of shkihta (checking for virginity) and the wife's right to mezonos (support). The central question revolves around why the Gemara (גמרא) establishes shkihta for three days rather than combining one day of shkihta with ta'anas pesulah to achieve the same postponement. Tosfos asks why the Gemara didn't simply say bracha instead of shkihta, noting that if bracha were a proper issur, it would have the same effect as shkihta. This leads to a fundamental question about whose benefit these delays serve.
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Kesubos 2a
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