Kiddushin, Daf Ayin Het, Part 2

 

Introduction

In today s sugya Abaye and Rava argue over whether a Kohen transgresses simply by betrothing a woman prohibited to him or whether he also has to have intercourse with her in order to be punished.

 

אמר אביי קידש לוקה בעל לוקה קידש לוקה משום לא יקח בעל לוקה משום לא יחלל

רבא אמר בעל לוקה לא בעל אינו לוקה משום דכתיב לא יקח ולא יחלל מה טעם לא יקח משום לא יחלל

 

Abaye said: When he betroths, he is lashed; [and] when he has intercourse, he is lashed. When he betroths he is lashed on account of, he shall not take ; when he has intercourse he is lashed on account of, he shall not profane.

Rava said: If he has intercourse, he is lashed; if he does not have intercourse, he is not lashed because it is written, He shall not take . . . and he shall not profane : why must he not take? In order that he shall not profane.

 

Abaye reads he shall not take (betroth) as a separate prohibition. Thus there are two prohibitions, one on betrothing the other on having intercourse. Rava reads the first prohibition as dependent on the second a priest should not marry one of these women because that will cause him to profane his offspring (have intercourse).

 

ומודה אביי במחזיר גרושתו שאם קידש ולא בעל שאינו לוקה (דברים כד, ד) לקחתה להיות לו לאשה אמר רחמנא והא ליכא

 

And Abaye agrees in the case of one who remarries his divorced wife, that if he betroths but does not have intercourse, he is not lashed: [He may not] take her again to be his wife (Deuteronomy 24:4), and this is absent here.

 

Abaye agrees that when it comes to the prohibition of remarrying one s divorcee, in order to transgress he must first betroth her and then have intercourse. Both prohibitions are one in this case.

 

ומודה רבא בכהן גדול באלמנה שאם בעל ולא קידש שלוקה ולא יחלל זרעו בעמיו אמר רחמנא והרי הוא חילל

 

And Rava agrees in respect to a High Priest with a widow, that if he has intercourse without betrothing, he is lashed: And he shall not profane his seed among his people the Torah says, whereas he has profaned [it].

 

Rava agrees that if a High Priest has intercourse with a widow without betrothing her (gasp!) that he is punished for transgressing and he shall not profane his seed. In this case, there is no independent prohibition of betrothal.

 

ושניהם מודים במחזיר גרושתו שאם בעל ולא קידש שאינו לוקה דרך ליקוחין אסרה תורה

 

And both agree in the case of one who takes back his divorced wife, that if he has intercourse with her without betrothal, he is not lashed: The Torah forbade it by way of marriage.

 

Both amoraim agree that when it comes to the prohibition of remarrying one s divorcee, the prohibition is only in effect if he betroths and then has intercourse. So if you want to have sex with your divorced partner, and you don t want to get lashed for it, better not to have betrothal first.