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Why does an almanah (widow) marrying require different sheva brachos than a besulah? The shiur analyzes the Gemara (גמרא)'s distinction between bracha and simcha, developing the approach that there are two separate takanos - one from Moshe for shivas yemei hamishtah and one from Chachamim for personal simcha obligations.
The shiur begins by examining the Gemara (גמרא)'s statement that an almanah (widow) 'ein tzerichah bracha' (doesn't require a bracha), contrasting this with the case of Boaz who clearly had brachos. Rabbi Zweig raises a fundamental question about the Gemara's kashya: if kol lo bracha asur l'ba'al k'niddah applies universally to chuppah, why should there be any distinction between different types of marriages regarding the basic requirement for brachos under the chuppah? The analysis moves to the Gemara's answer that 'ein tzerichah bracha kol zman av yomecha tzerichah' - examining what 'yomecha' means. Rabbi Zweig demonstrates from the Rishonim that this refers to the first day of mishta dikka (the wedding feast), not the chuppah ceremony itself. This leads to a crucial distinction between two separate dinim: the bracha requirement under the chuppah versus the sheva brachos during the days of celebration.
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Kesubos 7a
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