Kiddushin, Daf Daled, Part 2

 

Introduction

The Talmud has now brought in derashot showing that a na arah s betrothal money and her handiwork all go to her father. The Talmud asks why we could not have learned one of these laws from the other. Again, the underlying notion is that the Torah should never be at all superfluous.

 

ואיצטריך למכתב קידושיה לאביה ואיצטריך למכתב מעשה ידיה לאביה

דאי כתב רחמנא קידושיה לאביה הוה אמינא משום דלא טרחא בהו אבל מעשה ידיה דקא טרחא בהו אימא דידה הוו

 

It was necessary to write that her kiddushin money belong to her father and it was necessary to write that products of her labor belong to her father.

For had the Torah written that her kiddushin money belongs to her father, I might have thought, that is because she does not work to earn it, but her labor, for which she does work, I would say is her own.

 

If the Torah had written only that her kiddushin money goes to her father, I might have thought that her income from work goes to her since she earned it. It does not it goes to her father.

 

ואי אשמעינן מעשה ידיה דקא מתזנא מיניה אבל קידושיה דמעלמא קאתי לה אימא דידה הוו צריכא :

 

And if it had taught about her handiwork, that is because she is sustained from it; but her kiddushin, which comes from elsewhere, I would think is hers: thus both are necessary.

 

I might have thought that her earnings go to her father because in return for her giving him her earnings she is provided for. But her kiddushin money is a different story she would not be giving it to her father in return for something. Therefore, I might have thought that it is hers. It is not. As we learned, all financial gain that comes from the young daughter goes to her father.