Kiddushin, Daf Mem Het, Part 6

 

Introduction

Today s sugya begins to deal with R. Shimon s opinion, that if he deceived her and ended up giving her something of greater value, she is betrothed.

 

אם הטעה לשבח הרי זו מקודשת

ולית ליה לר"ש יין ונמצא חומץ חומץ ונמצא יין שניהם יכולין לחזור בהם אלמא איכא דניחא ליה בחלא ואיכא דניחא ליה בחמרא הכא נמי איכא ניחא ליה בכספא ולא ניחא ליה בדהבא

 

If he deceives her to [her] advantage, she is betrothed: But does not R. Shimon agree [that if one sells] wine, and it is found to be vinegar, or, vinegar and it is found to be wine, both [the vendor and the purchaser] can retract?

This proves that some prefer wine and others prefer vinegar. So here too, some are pleased with silver and not with gold?

 

Why not say that even if he deceives her by giving her gold when he said he was giving her silver, she is not betrothed, because maybe she would have preferred silver. After all, evidently some people prefer vinegar over wine (like when you re making a salad, or you re a recovering alcoholic, although I don t think they had salads or alcoholics back then).

 

אמר רב שימי בר אשי אשכחתיה לאביי דיתיב וקמסבר ליה לבריה הכא במאי עסקינן כגון שאמר לשלוחו הלויני דינר של כסף ולך וקדש לי אשה פלונית והלך והלוה של זהב מר סבר קפידא ומר סבר מראה מקום הוא לו

 

R. Shimi b. Ashi said: I came across Abaye sitting and explaining this to his son: What are we dealing with here? When he said to his agent, Lend me a silver denar and go and betroth So-and-so on my behalf, and he went and lent him a gold denar. One Master holds, [He was] particular [about this;] the other, that he was merely indicating the place to him.

 

Abaye completely changes the situation. The husband wanted to give her a silver denar, but his agent gave her a gold denar. The first tanna in the mishnah holds that the husband did not want to betroth her with a gold denar, so she is not betrothed. R. Shimon says that the husband did not really care what coin was used for betrothal, so she is betrothed.

 

אי הכי התקדשי לי התקדשי לו מיבעי ליה הטעה לשבח הטעהו לשבח מיבעי ליה נמצא מעיקרא נמי דזהב הוה

 

If so, Be betrothed to me should have read be betrothed to him ; if he deceives her to [her] advantage should have read if he deceives him to [his] advantage is required, it is found [to be of gold] but at the very outset it was of gold!

 

The Talmud points out that the language of the mishnah simply does not accord with Abaye s interpretation.

 

אלא אמר רבא אני וארי שבחבורה תרגימנא ומנו ר’ חייא בר אבין הכא במאי עסקינן כגון שאמרה היא לשלוחה צא וקבל לי קדושי מפלוני שאמר לי התקדשי לי בדינר של כסף והלך ונתן לו דינר של זהב מר סבר קפידא ומר סבר מראה מקום היא לו ומאי נמצא דקא צייר בבליתא

Rather Rava, I and the lion of our company, and who is he, R. Hiyya b. Avin, explained it, What are we dealing with here? If she said to her agent, Go and accept kiddushin on my behalf from So-and-so, who said to me, Be betrothed to me with a silver denar ; and he went and was given a gold denar. One Master holds [she was] particular [about this]; the other, that she indicated the place to him.

And what is [the meaning of] It was found ? It was wrapped up in a cloth.

 

Rava and R. Hiyya b. Avin interpret the case to be one where the woman sent an agent, not the man. She told her agent that the man was going to betroth her with a silver denar, and he gave her a gold denar. The first tanna holds that the woman specified silver denar because that is what she was expecting. R. Shimon holds that the woman was only stating a coin and does not really care what he does betrothal with. As far as the language it was found, the Talmud explains that initially the coin was wrapped up in a cloth when given to her.