English: “If a man takes a wife” — this alludes to the positive aspect of the institution of marriage (kiddushin).
On the daf / in context: The narrative of the defamation case opens with the normal process of taking a wife, which the midrash treats as the framework for the subsequent laws.
Type of Learning
Contextual reading of the opening of the unit.
What Is Learned
The laws of defamation of a bride presuppose a valid marriage.