Kiddushin, Daf Tet, Part 1

 

Introduction

Today s sugya is about a woman who wants something and the man tries to cajole her into agreeing to be betrothed to him if he gives it to her.

 

ההוא גברא דהוה קא מזבין חומרי פתכייתא

אתאי ההיא איתתא אמרה ליה הב לי חד שוכא

אמר לה אי יהבינא ליך מיקדשת לי

אמרה ליה הבה מיהבה

אמר רב חמא כל הבה מיהבה לאו כלום הוא

 

There was a man selling glass beads. A woman came and said to him, Give me a string [of these]. He said to her: If I give them to you, will you become betrothed to me?

She said to him: Give, give !

R. Hama said: Every case of give, give is nothing.

 

The woman here did not consent to kiddushin. She just expressed that she wants the beads. Therefore she is not betrothed.

 

ההוא גברא דהוה קא שתי חמרא בחנותא

אתאי ההיא איתתא

אמרה ליה הב לי חד כסא

אמר לה אי יהיבנא ליך מיקדשת לי

אמרה ליה אשקויי אשקיין

אמר רב חמא כל אשקויי אשקיין לאו כלום הוא

 

A man was drinking wine in a tavern. A woman came and said to him, Give me a cup.

He replied, If I give it you will you become betrothed to me?

She responded, Give me a drink, give me a drink.

R. Hama said: Any case of give me a drink, give me a drink means nothing.

 

My heart truly goes out to this woman. She just wants a drink of wine (I m sure she d prefer beer). And the heartless man wants to betroth her for it. Luckily, R. Hama again rules that she is not betrothed.

 

ההוא גברא דהוה קא שדי תמרי מדקלא אתאי ההיא איתתא א"ל שדי לי תרתי אמר לה אי שדינא ליך מיקדשת לי אמרה ליה שדי מישדא אמר רב זביד כל שדי מישדא לאו כלום הוא

 

A man was throwing down dates from a palm tree. A woman came and said to him, Throw me down two.

He replied, If I throw them down to you will you be betrothed to me?

She said to him: Throw them down, throw them down.

R. Zevid said: Every such case of throw them down, throw them down means nothing.

 

Different story, same ruling.

 

איבעיא להו הב אשקי ושדי מהו

אמר רבינא מקודשת רב סמא בר רקתא אמר תגא דמלכא אינה מקודשת והלכתא אינה מקודשת

 

They asked the question: What [if she replies,] Give, Give me a drink, or throw them down?

Ravina said: She is betrothed.

R. Sama b. Rakta said: By the crown of the king, she is not betrothed.

And the halakhah is: She is not betrothed.

 

What if she only says the phrase once, not twice, as she said in the cases above? Amoraim differ on this question but the halakhah is that she is still not betrothed. We need a more solid affirmation that she is consenting to betrothal.

והלכתא שיראי לא צריכי שומא והלכתא כר"א והלכתא כרבא אמר רב נחמן :

 

And the halakhah is: the silk does not need to be evaluated;

And the halakhah agrees with R. Elazar;

And the halakhah agrees with Rava who said in the name of R. Nachman.

 

The passage ends with three halakhic rulings concerning sugyot that we have learned over the last daf.

1)     If a man gives a woman an object such as silk as kiddushin, it need not be evaluated before he gives it to her.

2)     The law follows R. Elazar who said that if the man said he was betrothing her with a maneh and gave her a dinar she is betrothed and he owes her the rest.

3)     The law follows R. Nachman if he promised her money but only gave collateral she is not betrothed.