On 10/18/2012 7:12 PM, Jerry Friedman wrote:

And also because being orphaned as a child and being widowed (in the
old days) made drastic changes in one's social, economic, and legal
position, requiring the help that's mentioned so often in the Bible.
(I don't think it mentions taking care of widowers.)

Widowers often found a new, young wife. Widows often didn't find a new
husband.