Kiddushin, Daf Nun Vav, Part 1

 

Introduction

This week s daf continues to discuss using second tithe money and desacralizing it.

 

תנו רבנן אין לוקחים בהמה במעות מעשר שני ואם לקח בשוגג יחזרו דמים למקומם במזיד תעלה ותאכל במקום

אמר רבי יהודה במה דברים אמורים במתכוין ולקח תחילה לשם שלמים אבל במתכוין להוציא מעות מעשר שני לחולין בין שוגג בין מזיד יחזרו דמים למקומם

 

Our Rabbis taught: An animal may not be bought with second-tithe money; and if one does buy: if unwittingly, the money must be returned to its place; if deliberately, it must be brought up and consumed in the place.

R. Yehudah said: When is this so? When he intentionally bought it in the first place for a peace-offering; but if it was his intention to turn the second-tithe money into non-sacred money, whether unwittingly or deliberately, the money must be returned to its place.

 

Second tithe money should not be used to buy food outside of Jerusalem. According to the first opinion, if one uses second tithe money to buy an animal outside of Jerusalem, if unwittingly, the sale is void. The money returns to its place meaning it stays second tithe. But if he does so deliberately, the sale is valid and the animal must be brought to Jerusalem and eaten there.

R. Yehudah explains the first opinion the person was buying an animal to be used as a peace-offering, which seems to have been a normal thing to be done with second tithe money. If he does so intentionally, then the acquisition is valid. But if he was trying to buy a non-sacred animal, meaning his intent was to turn the second tithe into non-sacred money, then the exchange is invalid whether done unwittingly or deliberately.

 

והאנן תנן רבי יהודה אומר במזיד קידש

But did we not learn: R. Yehudah said: if deliberately, he has betrothed [her]?

 

In the mishnah R. Yehudah said that if one intentionally uses second tithe money to betroth a woman, the betrothal is valid. This contradicts what we just said if he uses the money deliberately, the sale is not valid.

 

אמר רבי אלעזר אשה יודעת שאין מעות מעשר שני מתחללין על ידה ועולה ואוכלתו בירושלים

 

R. Elazar: The woman knows that the second-tithe money does not become hullin through her [acceptance of it as kiddushin], and so she will go up and expend it in Jerusalem.

 

R. Elazar explains that in the mishnah a woman knows that the second tithe money stays holy and that she must take it to Jerusalem. Therefore, there is no reason for the kiddushin not to be valid. In contrast, when one tries to desacralize second tithe money, the act is invalid and the money remains second tithe.