Kiddushin, Samekh Bet, Part 6

 

Introduction

At the end of yesterday s section, Rabbah and R. Yosef argued about a case where a person separates terumah from produce still attached to the ground. According to Rabbah, the produce has to be at least in a state where it is not completely soft. R. Yosef said he could separate it even in the earlier state.

Our sugya correlates these two positions with a mishnah about a man who tries to betroth a fetus. Yes, you read that correctly.

 

כמאן אזלא הא דתניא האומר לחברו אם ילדה אשתך נקבה מקודשת לי לא אמר כלום

וא"ר חנינא לא שנו אלא שאין אשתו מעוברת אבל אשתו מעוברת דבריו קיימין כמאן אי כרבה כשהוכר עוברה אי כרב יוסף אע"פ שלא הוכר עוברה

 

With whom does the following that we taught accord: If one says to his friend, If your wife gives birth to a female, let her be betrothed to me he has said nothing [of legal validity].

And R. Hanina said about this: This was taught only if his wife is not pregnant; but if she is pregnant, his declaration is valid. With whom [does it agree]?

If it is according to Rabbah, it means that her child was discernible; if as R. Yosef, even if her child is not discernible.

 

Rabbah would say that a man can betroth the fetus only if the woman is visibly pregnant. R. Yosef would say that while she must be pregnant, the pregnancy need not even be discernible.

 

ואיכא דאמרי אמר רבה לא א"ר אליעזר בן יעקב אלא בשחת דבי כיבשא אבל בשחת דבי שקיא לא רב יוסף אמר אפילו בשחת דבי שקיא

Others state, Rabbah said: R. Eliezer b. Jacob said this only of the fodder of a naturally watered field, but not of the fodder of an artificially irrigated field.

R. Yosef said: Even of the fodder of an artificially irrigated field.

 

This is another version of Rabbah and R. Yosef s dispute. Rabbah holds that to be separated as terumah, the fodder must be in a naturally watered field. Such fodder will definitely ripen because it receives its water naturally. But fodder in an artificially irrigated field might not ripen if no one waters it. Therefore, it cannot be separated. R. Yosef says it does not matter. In either case, the terumah may be separated even before the produce has ripened.

כמאן אזלא הא דתניא האומר לחבירו אם ילדה אשתך נקבה מקודשת לי לא אמר כלום ואמר רבי חנינא לא שנו אלא שאין אשתו מעוברת אבל אשתו מעוברת דבריו קיימים כמאן כשהוכר עוברה ודברי הכל

 

With whom does the following that we taught accord: If one says to his friend, If your wife gives birth to a female, let her be betrothed to me he has said nothing [of legal validity].

And R. Hanina said about this: This was taught only if his wife is not pregnant; but if she is, his declaration is valid.With whom [does it agree]?

It means that her child was discernible, and agrees with all.

 

The mishnah about betrothing a fetus can only refer to a visibly pregnant woman, but now it is not connected to the dispute between Rabbah and R. Yosef.