To avoid the problems with the uncertain parenthood mentioned before, the Sages decreed that a woman should wait three months after her husband's death before marrying again. The Torah said, "... to be a God for you and your offspring after you." We see that one of the requirements of the covenant is to clearly distinguish between the offspring of the first husband and the second one. The decree was extended to all cases of marriages and even betrothals, where childbearing should not be an issue – to prevent confusion.
Rabbi Yehudah disagrees: people won't be confused. So he allows, for example, a betrothed girl whose groom died to get married to another man right away. Similarly, a married woman can get engaged and wait three months for the chuppah. The exception is a betrothed girl in the province of Yehudah, where it was known that the grooms may have been too familiar with their brides.
Rabbi Yose goes even further: there is no need to distinguish between the offspring of the first husband and the second one. Everybody can get married right away, except a widow, who needs to wait thirty days because of mourning obligation.
Art: Portrait of a Bridegroom by Antonius Heusler
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