Ketubot 57B

אין האשה אוכלת בתרומה עד שתכנס לחופה.

A woman may not partake of teruma until she has actually entered the wedding canopy.

גמ׳ מנא הני מילי? אמר רב חסדא, דאמר קרא: ״ויאמר אחיה ואמה תשב הנערה אתנו ימים או עשור״.

Talmud: The Talmud asks: From where are these matters derived, that a virgin is given 12 months to prepare for her wedding? Rav Ḥisda said it is based on the fact that the verse states with regard to Rebecca: “And her brother and mother said: Let the damsel abide with us for days, or 10” (Genesis 24:55).

מאי ״ימים״? אילימא תרי יומי, משתעי איניש הכי? אמרו ליה: תרי יומי, אמר להו: לא. אמרו ליה עשרה יומי?! אלא מאי ״ימים״⁠ — שנה, דכתיב: ״ימים תהיה גאולתו״.

The Talmud first analyzes the language of the verse: What is the meaning of “days”? If we say two days, the minimum number justifying the use of the plural, does a person really speak like this? Rebecca’s relatives said to Abraham’s servant that they wanted her to stay for two days, after which he said to them no, as he did not want to wait even that long. If so, is it possible that after that they said to him that they wanted her to stay for 10 days? Consequently, it is impossible to explain the word “days” as two days and “10” as 10 days. Rather, what is the meaning of “days”? It means: A year, as it is written: “For days he should have redemption” (Leviticus 25:29), and there it is explained that “days” is referring to a year. Consequently, in the verse “And her brother and mother said: Let the damsel abide with us for days, or 10” (Genesis 24:55), “days” refers to a year, and “10” refers to a shorter period of similar magnitude, i.e. 10 months, in order to prepare for her wedding.