Is there a commandment that a widower wait a specific length of time before dating and/or remarrying after the death of a spouse? Is it traditional or a commandment that we wait a year?
There is a Rabbinic requirement to mourn for a lost spouse for thirty days. This would preclude marrying. Dating is not disallowed, although it is not a clear-cut issue. There are a few exceptions where the time is reduced; for example, a man who has young children and needs a wife to help take care of the children. Other exceptions would have to do with the time of year that the person passed away. Nevertheless, although the 12 month mourning period is reserved for the loss of a parent, many people, for practical/emotional reasons, wait a year to remarry — even after the loss of a wife.
All the best,
Rabbi Benyowitz