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Why didn't the chachamim revoke their takana requiring Wednesday weddings when the government decreed that brides would be violated before their husbands? The shiur argues that when a takana doesn't cause the underlying problem but merely provides an opportunity for existing taavah, revoking it won't solve the danger but only removes rabbinic authority over marriage.
The Gemara (גמרא) discusses a takanas chachamim requiring weddings on Wednesday (Yom Revi'i), but notes that lo mitchu bo chachamim - they left the takana in place but didn't stringently enforce it due to sakana. The Gemara explains two possible decrees: either besulah nisus tehareg (virgin brides would be killed) or besulah nisus tibol hegemon tchila (virgin brides would first be violated by the hegemon). The fundamental difficulty Rabbi Zweig addresses is why the chachamim wouldn't simply revoke their takana when it led to such terrible consequences. If they maintained the takana for beautiful weddings or to avoid men having to go to beis din for claims against their wives, how could they allow brides to be violated just to preserve these benefits?
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Kesubos 3b
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