ב מֵתָה אִשְׁתּוֹ, אָסוּר לִשָּׂא אַחֶרֶת עַד שֶׁיַּעַבְרוּ עָלֶיהָ שָׁלֹשׁ רְגָלִים, אֲבָל לִכָּנֵס לְבֵית הַמִּשְׁתֶּה, דִּינוֹ כְּמוֹ בִּשְׁאָר קְרוֹבִים, (טוּר) וְרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה וְיוֹם כִּפּוּרִים אֵינָם חֲשׁוּבִים כִּרְגָלִים לְעִנְיָן זֶה. וְאִם לֹא קִיֵּם מִצְוַת פְּרִיָּה וּרְבִיָּה, אוֹ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ בָּנִים קְטַנִּים, אוֹ שֶׁאֵין לוֹ מִי שֶׁיְּשַׁמְּשֶׁנּוּ, מֻתָּר לְקַדֵּשׁ מִיָּד וְלִכְנֹס אַחַר שִׁבְעָה; וְלֹא יָבֹא עָלֶיהָ עַד לְאַחַר שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם, אֶלָא אִם כֵּן לֹא קִיֵּם מִצְוֹת פְּרִיָּה וּרְבִיָּה, שֶׁאָז מֻתָּר לָבוֹא עָלֶיהָ אַחַר שִׁבְעָה. הַגָּה: וְהוּא הַדִּין בִּשְׁאָר אֲבֵלוּת, אֲפִלּוּ בַּאֲבֵלוּת דְּאָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ, מֻתָּר לִשָּׂא וְלָבוֹא עָלֶיהָ אַחַר שִׁבְעָה, אִם לֹא קִיֵּם פִּרְיָה וּרְבִיָּה. יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּאַף מִי שֶׁהוּא עָשִׁיר וִיכֹלֶת בְּיָדוֹ לִשְׂכֹּר לוֹ מְשָׁרְתִים וּמְשָׁרְתוֹת, מִכָּל מָקוֹם אִם אֵין בִּתּוֹ אוֹ כַּלָּתוֹ אֶצְלוֹ בְּבֵיתוֹ שֶׁתּוּכַל לְשַׁמְּשׁוֹ בַּחֲפִיפַת הָרֹאשׁ אוֹ שְׁאָר דְּבָרִים שֶׁמִּתְבַּיֵּשׁ מֵאֲחֵרִים, מִקְרֵי אֵין לוֹ מִי שֶׁיְּשַׁמְּשֶׁנּוּ, וְכָל כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה (פִּסְקֵי מהרא"י סי"ג); וְלָכֵן נִשְׁתַּרְבֵּב הַמִּנְהָג שֶׁרַבִּים מְקִלִּין בָּעִנְיָן וְנוֹשְׂאִין נָשִׁים תּוֹךְ שָׁלֹשׁ רְגָלִים, וּבַעַל נֶפֶשׁ יָחוּשׁ לְעַצְמוֹ. מִי שֶׁתְּפָשׂוֹ הַשַּׂר וְאֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה לְהַנִּיחוֹ מִתְּפִיסָתוֹ, עַד שֶׁיִּשָּׂא אִשָּׁה תּוֹךְ שָׁלֹשׁ רְגָלִים אַחַר מִיתַת אִשְׁתּוֹ, יֵשׁ מַתִּירִין מִשּׁוּם צַעַר דִּידֵיהּ (בֵּית יוֹסֵף), וְכֵן נִרְאֶה לִי עִקָּר.
2 If his wife died, he is forbidden to take another [wife] until three Festivals have gone by her [death]. However, as to entering a house of feasting, the law regarding him is as [ in the case of ] other near-of-kin. The New Year and the Day of Atonement are not regarded as Festivals in this respect. If he has not complied [yet] with the duty of propagation, or [if] he has small children, or [if] he has no one to attend to him, he may betroth forthwith and wed [her] after the seven [days of mourning], but he should not cohabit with her until after thirty days, unless he has not [yet] complied with the duty of propagation, for [only] then is he permitted to cohabit with her after the seven [days of mourning]. Rema: The same principle applies to other mourning, even to mourning for one's father and mother, [ viz., that ] he is permitted to marry and cohabit with her after the seven [ days of mourning ], [ only ] if he has not [ yet ] complied with the duty of propagation. Some say that even one who is wealthy and can afford to hire men and women servants [ to attend to him ], — yet, if his daughter or daughter-in-law are not present with him at his home so that [ either of them ] should be able to attend to him, [ e.g.,] in the cleansing of his head or [ in ] other [ private ] matters, — for he feels embarrassed [ when ] others [ do this for him ], — [ the law is that ] he is regarded [ as one who ] has no one to attend to him, and [ the same ruling applies to ] everything similar to this. And it is for this reason that the custom has spread that many people adopt a lenient view in [ this matter, and take wives within [ the period of ] three Festivals, but a conscientious person should bethink himself [ in doing this ]. [ In the case of ] one who was seized by the Governor, and [ the latter ] refuses to let him go from his detention until he takes a wife within [ the period of ] three Festivals after his [ former ] wife's death, some permit [ him to remarry ] on account of his suffering. And thus seems to me to be the fundamental principle.