Reply To: can i date a girl without Shadchan????????/

It says in the first Perek of Kiddushin, Rav (or Rav Nachman) would whip(or excommunicate) someone who betrothed a woman without a ‘Shadchan’ (b’lo shidduchei).I think it was a Gezeira (enacted in later times by the Amoroim).

In the times of the Taanim it mentions (at the end of Talmud Taanis), men would betroth girls without Shadchanim (the girls would dance on Tub be’Av and say to the men ‘choose one of us from among us’).

In addition- I assume from the first Mishna in Kiddushin (written in the times of the Taanaim) that a person can betroth a woman without a Shadchan.

These are my understanding of these 3 Gemaras, can someone correct me please (i am sure there are Rishonim who disagree with Rashi and/or Artscroll).