Kiddushin, Daf Nun Tet, Part 2

 

Introduction

This section contains a few stories about people who either betroth a woman or buy land that someone else was seeking to betroth/ buy.

 

רבין חסידא אזיל לקדושי ליה איתתא לבריה קידשה לנפשיה

והתניא מה שעשה עשוי אלא שנהג בו מנהג רמאות

לא יהבוה ניהליה איבעי ליה לאודועי סבר אדהכי והכי אתא איניש אחרינא מקדש לה

 

Rabin the pious went to betroth a certain woman for his son, but betrothed her for himself. But was it not taught, What he did is done, but he has behaved toward him deceptively?

They would not give her to him [his son].

Then he should have informed him!

He feared that in the meantime another man might come and betroth her.

 

Rabin is ironically called pious even though his actions don t seem all that pious. He is supposed to betroth a woman for his son, but then decides he s going to betroth her for himself. The Talmud asks how Rabin could do such a thing. His excuse is that the men giving the woman away in betrothal (the brother, the father?) did not want to give her to the son, they wanted the father. And he was afraid that if he went back to his son and told him about what was happening, the girl would meanwhile be given to another.

Sounds like a good story to me.

 

רבה בר בר חנה יהיב ליה זוזי לרב אמר זבנה ניהלי להאי ארעא אזל זבנה לנפשיה והתניא מה שעשה עשוי אלא שנהג בו מנהג רמאות באגא דאלימי הוה ליה לרב נהגי ביה כבוד לרבה בר בר חנה לא נהגי ביה כבוד

איבעי ליה לאודועי סבר אדהכי והכי אתא איניש אחרינא זבין לה

 

Rabbah b. Bar Hanah gave money to Rav [and] told him, Buy this land for me. He went and bought it for himself.

But did we not learn, What he did is done, yet he has behaved toward him in a deceptive manner ?

It was in an area belonging to violent men. To Rav they showed respect but to Rabbah b. Bar Hanah they did not show respect.

Then he should have informed him.

He feared that in the meantime another person might come and buy it.

 

This is the same exact story except the agent is sent to buy land, not betroth a woman.

 

רב גידל הוה מהפיך בההיא ארעא אזל רבי אבא זבנה

אזל רב גידל קבליה לרבי זירא. אזל רבי זירא וקבליה לרב יצחק נפחא. אמר ליה המתן עד שיעלה אצלנו לרגל

כי סליק אשכחיה אמר ליה עני מהפך בחררה ובא אחר ונטלה הימנו מאי

אמר ליה נקרא רשע

ואלא מר מאי טעמא עבד הכי

א"ל לא הוה ידענא

השתא נמי ניתבה ניהליה מר

א"ל זבוני לא מזבנינא לה דארעא קמייתא היא ולא מסמנא מילתא אי בעי במתנה נישקליה

רב גידל לא נחית לה דכתיב (משלי טו, כז) ושונא מתנות יחיה

רבי אבא לא נחית לה משום דהפיך בה רב גידל לא מר נחית לה ולא מר נחית לה ומיתקריא ארעא דרבנן

R. Gidel was trying to buy a certain piece of land. R. Abba went and bought it.

Thereupon R. Gidel went and complained about him to R. Zera, who went and complained to R. Isaac Nafha.

He said to him, Wait until he comes up to us for the Festival.

When he came up he found him and asked him, If a poor man is trying to buy a loaf of bread and another comes and takes it away from him, what then?

He said to him: He is called wicked.

Then why did you, Master, do this?

He responded: I did not know [that he was trying to buy it].

Then let the master give it to him now.

He said to him, I will not sell it to him because it is the first field [which I ever bought] and it is not a [good] omen; but if he wants it as a gift, let him take it.

R. Gidel would not take possession of it because it is written: But he that hates gifts shall live (Proverbs 15:27). Nor would R. Abba take possession of it because R. Giddal was seeking to buy it; and so neither took possession, and it was called the Rabbis land.

 

This story again discusses one who ends up buying something that someone else wanted. When my grandmother of blessed memory would play Monopoly with me, she would not buy a third property if I already had two. She was a very kind woman, and an amazing grandmother. But she always lost Monopoly.