Kiddushin, Daf Yod Bet, Part 3

 

אמר שמואל קידשה בתמרה אפילו עומד כור תמרים בדינר מקודשת חיישינן שמא שוה פרוטה במדי

 

Shmuel said: If a man betrothed a woman with a date, even if a kor stood at a dinar, she is betrothed, for we are concerned that it may be worth a perutah in Medea.

 

According to Shmuel, if a man betroths a woman with an object that we know to be worth less than a perutah she is still betrothed. For we are concerned that maybe the item is worth a perutah elsewhere. Essentially what Shmuel is saying is that objects do not have absolute worth. A date might be worth very little in a place where dates are abundant (a kor, a large measure of volume, of dates sells for a dinar). But take one date it to a place where they are not abundant, and its value will go way up.

 

והא אנן תנן ב"ה אומרים בפרוטה ובשוה פרוטה

 

But have we not learned: Bet Hillel say: by a perutah or the worth of a perutah.

 

Shmuel s ruling seems to contradict the mishnah which says that the object must be worth a perutah.

 

לא קשיא הא בקידושי ודאי הא בקידושי ספק

 

There is no difficulty: the one refers to certain kiddushin; the other to doubtful kiddushin.

 

If the object is worth a perutah in the place where she is betrothed, then she is certainly betrothed. If it is not, then she is doubtfully betrothed.

 

ההוא גברא דאקדיש בזוודא דאורדי. יתיב רב שימי בר חייא קמיה דרב וקא מעיין בה אי אית בה שוה פרוטה אין אי לא לא

ואי לית בה שוה פרוטה לא והאמר שמואל חיישינן לא קשיא הא בקידושי ודאי הא בקידושי ספק

 

A certain man betrothed [a woman] with a bundle of rags. R. Shimi b. Hiyya sat before Rav and examined it: if worth a perutah, she is [betrothed], if not, she is not.

And if it is not worth a perutah, she is not [betrothed]? But didn t Shmuel say: We are concerned !

There is no difficulty: the one refers to certain kiddushin; the other to doubtful kiddushin.

 

This story essentially says the same ruling as above. If the item is worth a perutah, she is certainly betrothed. If it is not, she is doubtfully betrothed. The ramifications of this are that she would need a get in order to marry someone else.