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- ב"ה - Today in Judaism - Today is Wednesday, 18 Kislev, 5778 · December 6, 2017Today's Laws & Customs:
• Chabad custom: Omit Tachnun in afternoon prayersIn Chabad practice, starting in the afternoon, Tachnun (confession of sins) and similar prayers are omitted.
Today in Jewish History:
• Passing of R. Abraham Maimuni (1237)Rabbi Abraham Maimuni HaNagid (also called "Rabbi Avraham ben HaRambam") was the only son of Maimonides (the famed Talmudist, codifier of Jewish Law, philosopher, physician and statesmen, Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, 1135-1204). Born in 1185, Rabbi Abraham succeeded his father as the leader of the Jewish community in Fostat (old Cairo), Egypt, at the tender age of 19. He wrote many responsa and commentaries explaining and defending his father's writings and Halachic rulings. Rabbi Abraham passed away on the 18th of Kislev of the year 4998 from creation (1237).
• Passing of R. Baruch Mezhibuzher (1811)
Rabbi Baruch was the son of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov's daughter, Adel, and her husband, Rabbi Yechiel Ashkenazi. He was born in 1753 in Mezhibuz, the town from which his illustrious grandfather led the Chassidic Movement. He was one of the pre-eminent Rebbes (Chassidic masters) in the 3rd generation of Chassidism, and had thousands of disciples and followers.
Link: Two Stories
Daily Quote: A woman's wisdom built her home (Proverbs 14:1)
Daily Torah Study:
Chumash: Vayeishev, 4th Portion Genesis 38:1-38:30 with Rashi
• English / Hebrew Linear Translation
• Video Class
• Daily Wisdom (short insight)
Genesis Chapter 38
1Now it came about at that time that Judah was demoted by his brothers, and he turned away until [he came] to an Adullamite man, named Hirah. אוַֽיְהִי֙ בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֔וא וַיֵּ֥רֶד יְהוּדָ֖ה מֵאֵ֣ת אֶחָ֑יו וַיֵּ֛ט עַד־אִ֥ישׁ עֲדֻלָּמִ֖י וּשְׁמ֥וֹ חִירָֽה:
Now it came about at that time: Why was this section placed here, where it interrupts the section dealing with Joseph? To teach us that his (Judah’s) brothers demoted him from his high position when they saw their father’s distress. They said, “You told [us] to sell him. Had you told [us] to return him, we would have obeyed you.” [from Tanchuma Buber, Vayeshev 8]
ויהי בעת ההוא: למה נסמכה פרשה זו לכאן, והפסיק בפרשתו של יוסף, ללמד שהורידוהו אחיו מגדולתו כשראו בצרת אביהם, אמרו אתה אמרת למכרו, אלו אמרת להשיבו היינו שומעים לך:
and he turned away: from his brothers.
ויט: מאת אחיו:
to an Adullamite man: He entered into a partnership with him.
עד איש עדלמי: נשתתף עמו:
2And there Judah saw the daughter of a merchant named Shua, and he took her and came to her. בוַיַּרְא־שָׁ֧ם יְהוּדָ֛ה בַּת־אִ֥ישׁ כְּנַֽעֲנִ֖י וּשְׁמ֣וֹ שׁ֑וּעַ וַיִּקָּחֶ֖הָ וַיָּבֹ֥א אֵלֶֽיהָ:
merchant: Heb. כְּנַעִנִי [Onkelos renders] תַּגְרָא, a merchant.
כנעני: תגרא:
3And she conceived and bore a son, and he named him Er. גוַתַּ֖הַר וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֑ן וַיִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ עֵֽר:
4And she conceived again and bore a son, and she named him Onan. דוַתַּ֥הַר ע֖וֹד וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֑ן וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ אוֹנָֽן:
5Once again she bore a son, and she named him Shelah, and he (Judah) was in Chezib when she gave birth to him. הוַתֹּ֤סֶף עוֹד֙ וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֔ן וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ שֵׁלָ֑ה וְהָיָ֥ה בִכְזִ֖יב בְּלִדְתָּ֥הּ אֹתֽוֹ:
and he (Judah) was in Chezib: The name of the place. I say, however, that it was called Chezib because she stopped giving birth; [this is] an expression similar to“You are to me as a failing spring (אַכְזָב)” (Jer. 15:18);“whose water does not fail (יְכַזְבוּ)” (Isa. 58:11). Otherwise, what does Scripture intend to tell us? Moreover, in Genesis Rabbah (85:4) I saw: And she named him Shelah… She stopped [bearing].
והיה בכזיב: שם המקום. ואומר אני על שם שפסקה מלדת נקרא כזיב, לשון (ירמיה טו יח) היו תהיה לי כמו אכזב, (ישעיה נח יא) אשר לא יכזבו מימיו, דאם לא כן מה בא להודיענו. ובבראשית רבה (פה ד) ראיתי ותקרא שמו שלה, פסקת:
6And Judah took a wife for Er, his firstborn, named Tamar. ווַיִּקַּ֧ח יְהוּדָ֛ה אִשָּׁ֖ה לְעֵ֣ר בְּכוֹר֑וֹ וּשְׁמָ֖הּ תָּמָֽר:
7Now Er, Judah's firstborn, was evil in the eyes of the Lord, and the Lord put him to death. זוַיְהִ֗י עֵ֚ר בְּכ֣וֹר יְהוּדָ֔ה רַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה וַיְמִתֵ֖הוּ יְהֹוָֽה:
was evil in the eyes of the Lord: [His evil was] like the evil of Onan, viz. that he wasted his semen, as it is written in connection with Onan: “and He put him to death also,” meaning that, as Er’s death, so was Onan’s death. Now, why should Er waste his semen? So that she (Tamar) would not become pregnant and her beauty be impaired. [From Yev. 34b]
רע בעיני ה': כרעתו של אונן משחית זרעו, שנאמר באונן (פסוק י) וימת גם אותו, כמיתתו של ער מיתתו של אונן, ולמה היה ער משחית זרעו, כדי שלא תתעבר ויכחיש יפיה:
8So Judah said to Onan, "Come to your brother's wife and perform the rite of the levirate, and raise up progeny for your brother." חוַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוּדָה֙ לְאוֹנָ֔ן בֹּ֛א אֶל־אֵ֥שֶׁת אָחִ֖יךָ וְיַבֵּ֣ם אֹתָ֑הּ וְהָקֵ֥ם זֶ֖רַע לְאָחִֽיךָ:
and raise up progeny: The son shall be called by the name of the deceased. [From Targum Jonathan ben Uzziel]
והקם זרע: הבן יקרא על שם המת:
9Now Onan knew that the progeny would not be his, and it came about, when he came to his brother's wife, he wasted [his semen] on the ground, in order not to give seed to his brother. טוַיֵּ֣דַע אוֹנָ֔ן כִּ֛י לֹּ֥א ל֖וֹ יִֽהְיֶ֣ה הַזָּ֑רַע וְהָיָ֞ה אִם־בָּ֨א אֶל־אֵ֤שֶׁת אָחִיו֙ וְשִׁחֵ֣ת אַ֔רְצָה לְבִלְתִּ֥י נְתָן־זֶ֖רַע לְאָחִֽיו:
he wasted [his semen] on the ground: He practiced coitus interruptus. [From Gen. Rabbah 85:5]
ושחת ארצה: דש מבפנים וזורה מבחוץ:
10Now what he did was evil in the eyes of the Lord, and He put him to death also. יוַיֵּ֛רַע בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֑ה וַיָּ֖מֶת גַּם־אֹתֽוֹ:
11Then Judah said to his daughter in law Tamar, "Remain as a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah grows up," for he said, "Lest he too die, like his brothers." So Tamar went, and she remained in her father's house. יאוַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוּדָה֩ לְתָמָ֨ר כַּלָּת֜וֹ שְׁבִ֧י אַלְמָנָ֣ה בֵית־אָבִ֗יךְ עַד־יִגְדַּל֙ שֵׁלָ֣ה בְנִ֔י כִּ֣י אָמַ֔ר פֶּן־יָמ֥וּת גַּם־ה֖וּא כְּאֶחָ֑יו וַתֵּ֣לֶךְ תָּמָ֔ר וַתֵּ֖שֶׁב בֵּ֥ית אָבִֽיהָ:
for he said, etc.: Meaning that he dismissed her with a straw (with a lame excuse), for he did not intend to marry her to him (Shelah).
כי אמר וגו': כלומר דוחה היה אותה בקש, שלא היה בדעתו להשיאה לו:
for he said, “Lest he too die…”: This is a woman whose husbands presumably die young. [From Yev. 64b]
כי אמר פן ימות: מוחזקת היא זו שימותו אנשיה:
12Many days passed, and Shua's daughter, Judah's wife, died; and Judah was consoled, and he went up [to watch] over his sheepshearers he and Hirah, his Adullamite friend to Timnah. יבוַיִּרְבּוּ֙ הַיָּמִ֔ים וַתָּ֖מָת בַּת־שׁ֣וּעַ אֵֽשֶׁת־יְהוּדָ֑ה וַיִּנָּ֣חֶם יְהוּדָ֗ה וַיַּ֜עַל עַל־גֹּֽזְזֵ֤י צֹאנוֹ֙ ה֗וּא וְחִירָ֛ה רֵעֵ֥הוּ הָֽעֲדֻלָּמִ֖י תִּמְנָֽתָה:
and he went up [to watch] over his sheepshearers: He went up to Timnah to stand over his sheepshearers [i.e. to oversee them].
ויעל על גוזזי צאנו: ויעל תמנתה לעמוד על גוזזי צאנו:
13And it was told to Tamar, saying, "Behold, your father in law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep." יגוַיֻּגַּ֥ד לְתָמָ֖ר לֵאמֹ֑ר הִנֵּ֥ה חָמִ֛יךְ עֹלֶ֥ה תִמְנָ֖תָה לָגֹ֥ז צֹאנֽוֹ:
is going up to Timnah: In connection with Samson, however, Scripture says (Jud. 14:1):“And Samson went down to Timnah.” It was situated on a mountain slope, so that they would go up to it from here and go down to it from there. [From Sotah 10a]
עולה תמנתה: ובשמשון הוא אומר (שופטים יד א) וירד שמשון תמנתה, בשפוע ההר היתה יושבת, עולין לה מכאן ויורדין לה מכאן:
14So she took off her widow's garb, covered [her head] with a veil and covered her face, and she sat down at the crossroads that were on the way to Timnah, for she saw that Shelah had grown up, but as for her she was not given to him for a wife. ידוַתָּ֩סַר֩ בִּגְדֵ֨י אַלְמְנוּתָ֜הּ מֵֽעָלֶ֗יהָ וַתְּכַ֤ס בַּצָּעִיף֙ וַתִּתְעַלָּ֔ף וַתֵּ֨שֶׁב֙ בְּפֶ֣תַח עֵינַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־דֶּ֣רֶךְ תִּמְנָ֑תָה כִּ֤י רָֽאֲתָה֙ כִּֽי־גָדַ֣ל שֵׁלָ֔ה וְהִ֕וא לֹֽא־נִתְּנָ֥ה ל֖וֹ לְאִשָּֽׁה:
and covered her face: Heb. וַתִּתְעַלָף. She covered her face so that he would not recognize her.
ותתעלף: כסתה פניה שלא יכיר בה:
at the crossroads: Heb. בְּפֶתַח עֵינַיִם, lit., at the opening of the eyes. At the crossroads, on the road to Timnah. Our Sages, however, explained it midrashically to mean, at the entrance (פֶתַח) [to the residence] of our father Abraham, which all eyes (עֵינַיִם) looked forward to see. [From Sotah 10a]
ותשב בפתח עינים: בפתיחת עינים, בפרשת דרכים שעל דרך תמנתה. ורבותינו דרשו בפתחו של אברהם אבינו שכל עינים מצפות לראותו:
for she saw that Shelah had grown up, etc.: Therefore, she made herself available to Judah, for she longed to bear sons from him.
כי ראתה כי גדל שלה וגו': לפיכך הפקירה עצמה אצל יהודה, שהיתה מתאוה להעמיד ממנו בנים:
15When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, because she covered her face. טווַיִּרְאֶ֣הָ יְהוּדָ֔ה וַיַּחְשְׁבֶ֖הָ לְזוֹנָ֑ה כִּ֥י כִסְּתָ֖ה פָּנֶֽיהָ:
he thought she was a harlot: because she was sitting at the crossroads.
ויחשבה לזונה: לפי שיושבת בפרשת דרכים:
because she covered her face: and he could not see her and recognize her. Our Sages midrashic interpretation is: because she had covered her face when she had stayed in her father-in-law’s house and she was modest. Therefore, he did not suspect her. [From Sotah 10b]
כי כסתה פניה: ולא יכול לראותה ולהכירה. ומדרש רבותינו כי כסתה פניה כשהיתה בבית חמיה היתה צנועה, לפיכך לא חשדה:
16So he turned aside toward her to the road, and he said, "Get ready now, I will come to you," for he did not know that she was his daughter in law, and she said, "What will you give me that you should come to me?" טזוַיֵּ֨ט אֵלֶ֜יהָ אֶל־הַדֶּ֗רֶךְ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ הָֽבָה־נָּא֙ אָב֣וֹא אֵלַ֔יִךְ כִּ֚י לֹ֣א יָדַ֔ע כִּ֥י כַלָּת֖וֹ הִ֑וא וַתֹּ֨אמֶר֙ מַה־תִּתֶּן־לִ֔י כִּ֥י תָב֖וֹא אֵלָֽי:
So he turned aside toward her to the road: From the road he was following, he turned aside to the road where she was. In Old French, destorner, to turn aside.
ויט אליה אל הדרך: מדרך שהיה בה נטה אל הדרך אשר היא בה, ובלשון לע"ז דשטולי"ר [לסטות]:
“Get ready now…”: Prepare yourself and your mind for this. Every expression of הָבָה signifies preparation, except where it can be translated as an expression of giving, and even those instances [of הָבָה] meaning preparation are close to an expression of giving.
הבה נא: הכיני עצמך ודעתך לכך. כל לשון הבה לשון הזמנה הוא, חוץ ממקום שיש לתרגמו בלשון נתינה, ואף אותן של הזמנה קרובים ללשון נתינה הם:
17And he said, "I will send a kid from the herd," and she said, "[Only] if you give me a pledge until you send [it]." יזוַיֹּ֕אמֶר אָֽנֹכִ֛י אֲשַׁלַּ֥ח גְּדִֽי־עִזִּ֖ים מִן־הַצֹּ֑אן וַתֹּ֕אמֶר אִם־תִּתֵּ֥ן עֵֽרָב֖וֹן עַ֥ד שָׁלְחֶֽךָ:
a pledge: Heb. עֵרָבוֹן, security. [From Targum Onkelos]
ערבון: משכון:
18So he said, "What is the pledge that I should give you?" And she said, "Your signet, your cloak, and the staff that is in your hand." So he gave them to her, and he came to her, and she conceived his likeness. יחוַיֹּ֗אמֶר מָ֣ה הָעֵֽרָבוֹן֘ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶתֶּן־לָךְ֒ וַתֹּ֗אמֶר חֹתָֽמְךָ֙ וּפְתִילֶ֔ךָ וּמַטְּךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ וַיִּֽתֶּן־לָ֛הּ וַיָּבֹ֥א אֵלֶ֖יהָ וַתַּ֥הַר לֽוֹ:
Your signet, your cloak: Heb. וּפְתִיל ֶחֹתָמְ [Onkelos renders:] עִזְקָת ָוְשׁוֹשִׁיפָ. Your ring, with which you seal, and your cloak, with which you cover yourself.
חתמך ופתילך: עזקתך ושושיפך, טבעת שאתה חותם בה, ושמלתך שאתה מתכסה בה:
and she conceived his likeness: lit.,“and she conceived to him.” Mighty men like him, righteous men like him. [From Gen. Rabbah 85:9]
ותהר לו: גבורים כיוצא בו, צדיקים כיוצא בו:
19Then she arose and went away, and she took off her veil, and she donned her widow's garb. יטוַתָּ֣קָם וַתֵּ֔לֶךְ וַתָּ֥סַר צְעִיפָ֖הּ מֵֽעָלֶ֑יהָ וַתִּלְבַּ֖שׁ בִּגְדֵ֥י אַלְמְנוּתָֽהּ:
20And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his Adullamite friend to take the pledge from the woman's hand, but he did not find her. כוַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח יְהוּדָ֜ה אֶת־גְּדִ֣י הָֽעִזִּ֗ים בְּיַד֙ רֵעֵ֣הוּ הָֽעֲדֻלָּמִ֔י לָקַ֥חַת הָעֵֽרָב֖וֹן מִיַּ֣ד הָֽאִשָּׁ֑ה וְלֹ֖א מְצָאָֽהּ:
21So he asked the people of the place, saying, "Where is the harlot who was at the crossroads on the way?" and they said, "No harlot was here." כאוַיִּשְׁאַ֞ל אֶת־אַנְשֵׁ֤י מְקֹמָהּ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אַיֵּ֧ה הַקְּדֵשָׁ֛ה הִ֥וא בָֽעֵינַ֖יִם עַל־הַדָּ֑רֶךְ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ לֹֽא־הָֽיְתָ֥ה בָזֶ֖ה קְדֵשָֽׁה:
the harlot: Heb. הַקְדֵשָׁה, prepared (מְקֻדֶשֶׁת) and ready for harlotry.
הקדשה: מקודשת ומזומנת לזנות:
22So he returned to Judah, and he said, "I have not found her, and the people of the place also said, 'No harlot was here.' " כבוַיָּ֨שָׁב֙ אֶל־יְהוּדָ֔ה וַיֹּ֖אמֶר לֹ֣א מְצָאתִ֑יהָ וְגַ֨ם אַנְשֵׁ֤י הַמָּקוֹם֙ אָֽמְר֔וּ לֹא־הָֽיְתָ֥ה בָזֶ֖ה קְדֵשָֽׁה:
23So Judah said, "Let her take [them] for herself, lest we become a laughingstock. Behold, I sent this kid, but you did not find her." כגוַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוּדָה֙ תִּקַּח־לָ֔הּ פֶּ֖ן נִֽהְיֶ֣ה לָב֑וּז הִנֵּ֤ה שָׁלַ֨חְתִּי֙ הַגְּדִ֣י הַזֶּ֔ה וְאַתָּ֖ה לֹ֥א מְצָאתָֽהּ:
Let her take [them] for herself: Let her keep what she has.
תקח לה: יהיה שלה מה שבידה:
lest we become a laughingstock: If you seek her further, the matter will become known, and it will be a disgrace, for what more am I required to do to keep my word?
פן נהיה לבוז: אם תבקשנה עוד יתפרסם הדבר ויהיה גנאי, כי מה עלי לעשות עוד לאמת דברי:
Behold, I sent this kid: Since Judah had deceived his father with the kid in whose blood he immersed Joseph’s coat, he too was deceived with a kid. [From Gen. Rabbah 85:9]
הנה שלחתי הגדי הזה: לפי שרימה יהודה את אביו בגדי עזים, שהטביל כתנת יוסף בדמו, רמוהו גם אותו בגדי עזים:
24Now it came about after nearly three months, that it was told to Judah, saying, "Your daughter in law Tamar has played the harlot, and behold, she is pregnant from harlotry." So Judah said, "Bring her out, and let her be burned." כדוַיְהִ֣י | כְּמִשְׁל֣שׁ חֳדָשִׁ֗ים וַיֻּגַּ֨ד לִֽיהוּדָ֤ה לֵאמֹר֨ זָֽנְתָה֙ תָּמָ֣ר כַּלָּתֶ֔ךָ וְגַ֛ם הִנֵּ֥ה הָרָ֖ה לִזְנוּנִ֑ים וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוּדָ֔ה הֽוֹצִיא֖וּהָ וְתִשָּׂרֵֽף:
Now it came about after nearly three months: Heb. כְּמִשְׁלשׁ חֳדָשִׁים. The greater part of the first, the greater part of the third, and the complete middle one. The expression כְּמִשְׁלשׁ חֳדָשִׁים means, “upon the tripling of the months,” like“sending portions (מִשְׁלוֹח ַמָנוֹת)” (Esther 9:19)"[and] shall they stretch forth their hand (מִשְׁלוֹח ַיָדָם) (Isa. 11: 14) (lit., the stretching forth of their hand). And so did Onkelos render: כְּתַלְתוּת יַרְחַיָא, at the tripling of the months. [From Gen. Rabbah 85:10]
כמשלש חדשים: רובו של ראשון ורובו של אחרון ואמצעי שלם, ולשון כמשלש חדשים, כהשתלש החדשים, כמו (אסתר ט כב) ומשלוח מנות, (ישעיה יא יד) משלוח ידם, וכן תרגם אונקלוס כתלתות ירחיא:
she is pregnant from harlotry: Heb. הָרָה. This is an adjective, “pregnant,” like“a pregnant (הָרָה) woman” (Exod. 21:22), and like“clear (בָּרָה) as the sun” (Song 6:10).
הרה לזנונים: שם דבר, מעוברת כמו (שמות כא כב) אשה הרה, וכמו (שה"ש ו י) ברה כחמה:
and let her be burned: Ephraim Miksha’ah said in the name of Rabbi Meir: She was the daughter of Shem, who was a priest. Therefore, they sentenced her to be burned. [From Gen. Rabbah 85:10]
ותשרף: אמר אפרים מקשאה משום רבי מאיר בתו של שם היתה, שהוא כהן, לפיכך דנוה בשרפה:
25She was taken out, and she sent to her father in law, saying, "From the man to whom these belong I am pregnant," and she said, "Please recognize whose signet ring, cloak, and staff are these?" כההִ֣וא מוּצֵ֗את וְהִ֨יא שָֽׁלְחָ֤ה אֶל־חָמִ֨יהָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לְאִישׁ֙ אֲשֶׁר־אֵ֣לֶּה לּ֔וֹ אָֽנֹכִ֖י הָרָ֑ה וַתֹּ֨אמֶר֙ הַכֶּר־נָ֔א לְמִ֞י הַֽחֹתֶ֧מֶת וְהַפְּתִילִ֛ים וְהַמַּטֶּ֖ה הָאֵֽלֶּה:
She was taken out: to be burned [from targumim]
הוא מוצאת: לישרף:
and she sent to her father-in-law: She did not want to embarrass him and say, “From you I am pregnant,” but, “From the man to whom these belong.” She said, “If he confesses by himself, let him confess, and if not, let them burn me, but I will not embarrass him.” From this they (our Rabbis) said,“It is better for a person to be cast into a fiery furnace than to embarrass his fellow in public.” [from Sotah 10b]
והיא שלחה אל חמיה: לא רצתה להלבין פניו ולומר ממך אני מעוברת, אלא לאיש אשר אלה לו, אמרה אם יודה מעצמו, יודה, ואם לאו ישרפוני, ואל אלבין פניו. מכאן אמרו נוח לו לאדם שיפילוהו לכבשן האש ואל ילבין פני חבירו ברבים:
Please recognize: Heb. הַכֶּר-נָא. נָא is only an expression of supplication. “Please recognize your Creator and do not destroy three souls.” [from Sotah 10b, Gen. Rabbah 85:11]
הכר נא: אין נא אלא לשון בקשה, הכר נא בוראך ואל תאבד שלש נפשות:
26Then Judah recognized [them], and he said, "She is right, [it is] from me, because I did not give her to my son Shelah." But he no longer continued to be intimate with her. כווַיַּכֵּ֣ר יְהוּדָ֗ה וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ צָֽדְקָ֣ה מִמֶּ֔נִּי כִּֽי־עַל־כֵּ֥ן לֹֽא־נְתַתִּ֖יהָ לְשֵׁלָ֣ה בְנִ֑י וְלֹֽא־יָסַ֥ף ע֖וֹד לְדַעְתָּֽהּ:
She is right: in what she said.
צדקה: בדבריה:
from me: she is pregnant (Targum Onkelos). Our Sages, however, explained this midrashically to mean that a “bath-kol” came forth and declared,“From Me and from within Me these matters have emerged. Since she was modest in her father-in-law’s house, I decreed that kings should be descended from her, and from the tribe of Judah I [already] decreed to raise up kings in Israel.” [from Sotah 10b]
ממני: היא מעוברת. ורבותינו ז"ל דרשו שיצאה בת קול ואמרה ממני ומאתי יצאו הדברים, לפי שהיתה צנועה בבית חמיה גזרתי שיצאו ממנה מלכים, ומשבט יהודה גזרתי להעמיד מלכים בישראל:
because I did not give her to my son Shelah: For she did this justifiably, because I did not give her to my son Shelah. [From Bereishith Rabbathi]
כי על כן לא נתתיה: כי בדין עשתה, על אשר לא נתתיה לשלה בני:
But he no longer continued: Heb. וְלֹא-יָסַף. Some say: he did not continue [to know her] (Targum Onkelos), and others say: he did not cease (Sotah 10b). (A similar instance is found in connection with Eldad and Medad (Num. 11:25), [where the verse reads:] וְלֹא יָסָפוּ, they did not continue, which the Targum renders: וְלֹא פָסְקוּ, they did not cease).
ולא יסף עוד: יש אומרים לא הוסיף. ויש אומרים לא פסק [וחבירו גבי אלדד ומידד (במדבר יא כה) ולא יספו, ומתרגמינן ולא פסקו]:
27And it came about at the time she was giving birth, that behold, there were twins in her womb. כזוַיְהִ֖י בְּעֵ֣ת לִדְתָּ֑הּ וְהִנֵּ֥ה תְאוֹמִ֖ים בְּבִטְנָֽהּ:
at the time she was giving birth: But concerning Rebecca, Scripture states:“And her days to give birth were completed” (Gen. 25:24). In the latter instance, the months were complete, but here they were short of full term. [From Gen. Rabbah 85:13]
בעת לדתה: וברבקה הוא אומר (כב כד) וימלאו ימיה ללדת, להלן למלאים וכאן לחסרים:
behold, there were twins: This is written with the full spelling (תאוֹמִים); in the other instance, [with Rebecca,] it is written defectively (תוֹמִם), because one [child, Esau,] was wicked, but these [twins] were both righteous. [From Gen. Rabbah 85:13]
והנה תאומים: מלא, ולהלן (כה כד) תומים, חסר, לפי שהאחד רשע, אבל אלו שניהם צדיקים:
28And it came about when she gave birth, that he (the infant) stretched out his hand. So the midwife took and bound a crimson thread on his hand, saying, "This one came out first." כחוַיְהִ֥י בְלִדְתָּ֖הּ וַיִּתֶּן־יָ֑ד וַתִּקַּ֣ח הַֽמְיַלֶּ֗דֶת וַתִּקְשֹׁ֨ר עַל־יָד֤וֹ שָׁנִי֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר זֶ֖ה יָצָ֥א רִֽאשֹׁנָֽה:
that he (the infant) stretched out his hand: One of them stretched his hand to the outside, and after she (the midwife) bound the crimson thread on it, he drew it back.
ויתן יד: הוציא האחד ידו לחוץ, ולאחר שקשרה על ידו השני החזירה:
29And it came about, as he was drawing back his hand, behold, his brother emerged, and she said, "With what strength you have strengthened yourself!" And he (Judah) named him Perez. כטוַיְהִ֣י | כְּמֵשִׁ֣יב יָד֗וֹ וְהִנֵּה֙ יָצָ֣א אָחִ֔יו וַתֹּ֕אמֶר מַה־פָּרַ֖צְתָּ עָלֶ֣יךָ פָּ֑רֶץ וַיִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ פָּֽרֶץ:
you have strengthened yourself: Heb. פָּרַצְתָּ with what strength you have strengthened yourself! [from Targum Onkelos]
פרצת: חזקת עליך חוזק:
30Afterwards, his brother emerged, the one upon whose hand was the crimson thread, and he named him Zerah. לוְאַחַר֙ יָצָ֣א אָחִ֔יו אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־יָד֖וֹ הַשָּׁנִ֑י וַיִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ זָֽרַח:
the one upon whose hand was the crimson thread: Four hands are written here, corresponding to the four devoted things (charamim) by which Achan, who was descended from him (Zerah), committed a trespass. Some say [that they] correspond to the four things that he took: a Babylonish garment, two pieces of silver weighing two hundred shekels, and a wedge of gold (Jos. 7:21) (Gen. Rabbah 85:14).
אשר על ידו השני: ארבע ידות כתובות כאן כנגד ארבעה חרמים שמעל עכן שיצא ממנו. ויש אומרים כנגד ארבעה דברים שלקח, (יהושע ז כא) אדרת שנער, ושני חתיכות כסף של מאתים שקלים, ולשון זהב אחד:
and he named him Zerah: because of the shining appearance (זְרִיחַת) of the crimson.
ויקרא שמו זרח: על שם זריחת מראית השני:
Tehillim: Psalms Chapters 88 - 89
• Hebrew text
• English text
Chapter 88
The psalmist weeps and laments bitterly over the maladies and suffering Israel endures in exile, which he describes in detail.
1. A song, a psalm by the sons of Korach, for the Conductor, upon the machalat le'anot; 1 a maskil2 for Heiman the Ezrachite.
2. O Lord, God of my deliverance, by day I cried out [to You], by night I [offer my prayer] before You.
3. Let my prayer come before You; turn Your ear to my supplication.
4. For my soul is sated with affliction, and my life has reached the grave.
5. I was reckoned with those who go down to the pit, I was like a man without strength.
6. [I am regarded] among the dead who are free, like corpses lying in the grave, of whom You are not yet mindful, who are yet cut off by Your hand.
7. You have put me into the lowest pit, into the darkest places, into the depths.
8. Your wrath has weighed heavily upon me, and all the waves [of Your fury] have constantly afflicted me.
9. You have estranged my friends from me, You have made me abhorrent to them; I am imprisoned and unable to leave.
10. My eye is afflicted because of distress; I call to You, O Lord, every day; I have stretched out my hands [in prayer] to You.
11. Do You perform wonders for the deceased? Do the dead stand to offer You praise? Selah.
12. Is Your kindness recounted in the grave, your faithfulness in the place of perdition?
13. Are Your wondrous deeds known in the darkness [of the grave], or Your righteousness in the land of oblivion?
14. But, I, to You, O Lord, I cry; each morning my prayer comes before You.
15. Why, O Lord, do You forsake my soul? Why do You conceal Your countenance from Me?
16. From my youth I have been afflicted and approaching death, yet I have borne the fear of You which is firmly established within me.
17. Your furies have passed over me; Your terrors have cut me down.
18. They have engulfed me like water all day long, they all together surrounded me.
19. You have estranged from me beloved and friend; I have been rejected by my intimates.
FOOTNOTES
1.A musical instrument(Metzudot).
2.A psalm intended to enlighten and impart knowledge(Metzudot).
Chapter 89
This psalm speaks of the kingship of the House of David, the psalmist lamenting its fall from power for many years, and God's abandonment and spurning of us.
1. A maskil1 by Eitan the Ezrachite.
2. I will sing of the Lord's kindness forever; to all generations I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth.
3. For I have said, "The world is built with kindness; there in the heavens You establish Your faithfulness.”
4. I have made a covenant with My chosen one; I have sworn to David, My servant:
5. "I will establish Your descendants forever; I will build your throne for all generations," Selah.
6. Then the heavens will extol Your wonders, O Lord; Your faithfulness, too, in the congregation of the holy ones.
7. Indeed, who in heaven can be compared to the Lord, who among the supernal beings can be likened to the Lord!
8. The Almighty is revered in the great assembly of the holy ones, awe-inspiring to all who surround Him.
9. O Lord, God of Hosts, who is mighty like You, O God! Your faithfulness surrounds You.
10. You rule the vastness of the sea; when its waves surge, You still them.
11. You crushed Rahav (Egypt) like a corpse; with Your powerful arm You scattered Your enemies.
12. Yours are the heavens, the earth is also Yours; the world and all therein-You established them.
13. The north and the south-You created them; Tabor and Hermon sing of [the greatness] of Your Name.
14. Yours is the arm which has the might; strengthen Your hand, raise high Your right hand.
15. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; kindness and truth go before Your countenance.
16. Fortunate is the people who know the sound of the shofar; Lord, they walk in the light of Your countenance.
17. They rejoice in Your Name all day, and they are exalted through Your righteousness.
18. Indeed, You are the splendor of their might, and in Your goodwill our glory is exalted.
19. For our protectors turn to the Lord, and our king to the Holy One of Israel.
20. Then You spoke in a vision to Your pious ones and said: "I have granted aid to [David] the mighty one; I have exalted the one chosen from among the people.
21. I have found David, My servant; I have anointed him with My holy oil.
22. It is he whom My hand shall be prepared [to assist]; My arm, too, shall strengthen him.
23. The enemy shall not prevail over him, nor shall the iniquitous person afflict him.
24. And I will crush his adversaries before him, and will strike down those who hate him.
25. Indeed, My faithfulness and My kindness shall be with him, and through My Name his glory shall be exalted.
26. I will set his hand upon the sea, his right hand upon the rivers.
27. He will call out to Me, 'You are my Father, my God, the strength of my deliverance.’
28. I will also make him [My] firstborn, supreme over the kings of the earth.
29. I will maintain My kindness for him forever; My covenant shall remain true to him.
30. And I will bestow [kingship] upon his seed forever, and his throne will endure as long as the heavens last.
31. If his children forsake My Torah and do not walk in My ordinances;
32. if they profane My statutes and do not observe My commandments,
33. then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their misdeeds with plagues.
34. Yet I shall not take away My kindness from him, nor betray My faithfulness.
35. I will not abrogate My covenant, nor change that which has issued from My lips.
36. One thing I have sworn by My holiness-I will not cause disappointment to David.
37. His seed will endure forever and his throne will be [resplendent] as the sun before Me.
38. Like the moon, it shall be established forever; [the moon] is a faithful witness in the sky for all time.”
39. Yet You have forsaken and abhorred; You became enraged at Your anointed.
40. You annulled the covenant with Your servant; You have profaned his crown [by casting it] to the ground.
41. You shattered all his fences; You turned all his strongholds into ruin.
42. All wayfarers despoiled him; he has become a disgrace to his neighbors.
43. You have uplifted the right hand of his adversaries; You have made all his enemies rejoice.
44. You also turned back the blade of his sword, and did not sustain him in battle.
45. You put an end to his splendor, and toppled his throne to the ground.
46. You have cut short the days of his youth; You have enclothed him with long-lasting shame.
47. How long, O Lord, will You conceal Yourself-forever? [How long] will Your fury blaze like fire?
48. O remember how short is my life span! Why have You created all children of man for naught?
49. What man can live and not see death, can save his soul forever from the grave?
50. Where are Your former deeds of kindness, my Lord, which You swore to David in Your faithfulness?
51. Remember, my Lord, the disgrace of Your servants, that I bear in my bosom from all the many nations;
52. that Your enemies have disgraced, O Lord, that they have disgraced the footsteps of Your anointed.
53. Blessed is the Lord forever, Amen and Amen.
FOOTNOTES
1.A psalm intended to enlighten and impart knowledge(Metzudot).
Tanya: Kuntres Acharon, Essay 9
• English Text (Lessons in Tanya)
• Hebrew Text
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Wednesday, Kislev 18, 5778 · December 6, 2017
Today's Tanya Lesson
Kuntres Acharon, Essay 9
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הוכח תוכיח את עמיתך, אפילו מאה פעמים
[It is written,]1 “You shall surely reprove your comrade” — “even one hundred times,” add our Sages,2 taking up the hint offered by the repetitive form of the Hebrew verb.
ולזאת לא אוכל להתאפק ולהחריש מלזעוק עוד, בקול ענות חלושה
Therefore, writes the Alter Rebbe, I cannot contain myself and cannot refrain from crying out yet again, in a voice betraying [pained] weakness.3
במטותא מינייכו ברחמין נפישין
I plead with you out of deep compassion,
חוסו נא על נפשותיכם, והשמרו והזהרו מאד מאד על התורה ועל העבודה שבלב, זו תפלה בכוונה
have pity on your souls. Take care, be extremely vigilant, concerning the study of Torah and the service of the heart, which is prayer4 with proper intent.
להתחיל כולם יחד כאחד, מלה במלה, ולא זה בכה וזה בכה, וזה דומם וזה משיח שיחה בטלה, ה׳ ישמרנו
All should begin [the prayers] in unison, as one, word by word, not one person here and another elsewhere, one mute and the other idly chatting, may G‑d protect us.
ועיקר הסיבה וגרמא בנזקין, הוא מהיורדים לפני התיבה
The main cause and instigator of [this] damage comes from those leading the services.
שהוא הפקר לכל הרוצה לפשוט רגליו החוטף אפרתי
That office is abandoned to whoever wishes to stride forth and snatch the honor,5
או מחמת שאין גם אחד רוצה כו׳
or because not even one desires it..., so that ultimately the prayers are led by someone inappropriate to the task.
ואי לזאת, זאת העצה היעוצה ותקנה קבועה, חוק ולא יעבור עוד, חס ושלום
For this reason, this is the counsel offered, and a regulation established as law not to be violated further, G‑d forbid.
דהיינו, לבחור אנשים קבועים הראוים לזה, על פי הגורל או בריצוי רוב המנין
That is, choose fixed individuals fit for this office of leading the prayers, by lot or by consent of the majority of the worshipers.
And who, indeed, is fit for this office?
דהיינו שמתפללים מלה במלה, בדרך המיצוע, בקול רם
These shall be men who pray word by word, at a moderate pace, aloud,
ולא מאריכים יותר מדאי, ולא מקצרים וחוטפים, חס ושלום
neither overly prolonging the prayers, nor racing intemperately, G‑d forbid.
ועליהם מוטל החובה לירד לפני התיבה, כל אחד ואחד ביומו אשר יגיע לו
Theirs is the duty to lead the prayers, each on his day as determined.
ולאסוף אליו מסביב סמוך כל המתפללים בקול קצת על כל פנים, ולא בלחש ולא חוטפים, חס ושלום
He shall assemble close around him all those who pray audibly, at least, neither whispering nor rushing, G‑d forbid.
וכמבואר בתקנות ישנות בכמה עיירות
This is amplified in age-old communal regulations in many towns.
ועתה באתי לחדשן ולחזקן ולאמצן, בל ימוטו עוד לעולם, חס ושלום
I come now, writes the Alter Rebbe, to renew them, to strengthen and invigorate them, never again to be weakened, G‑d forbid.
(8The following two words appear in Yiddish9 in the Alter Rebbe’s original manuscript: Gevald! Gevald! — an outcry of agonized consternation.)
עד מתי יהיה זה לנו למוקש
How long will this be an obstacle for us?10
How long will we burdened by praying without proper intent?
ולא די לנו בכל התוכחות והצרות שעברו עלינו, ה׳ ישמרנו, וינחמנו בכפלים לתושיה, ויטהר לבנו לעבדו באמת
Have we not sufficient reproofs and troubles that have overtaken us? — May G‑d protect and console us with redoubled support,11 and purify our hearts to serve Him in truth.
חזקו ואמצו לבבכם, כל המייחלים לה׳
Strengthen and fortify your hearts, all who hope in G‑d.12
* * *
גם לגמור כל הש״ס בכל שנה ושנה
Also: Complete the study of the entire Talmud year after year,
ובכל עיר ועיר, לחלק המסכתות על פי הגורל או ברצון
and in every community apportion the tractates by lot or by consent, each individual choosing the tractate that he desires to study.
ועיר שיש בה מנינים הרבה, יגמרו בכל מנין ומנין, ואם איזה מנין קטן מהכיל, יצרפו אליהם אנשים מאיזה מנין גדול
In a city with numerous synagogues, each congregation should complete [the Talmud]. And if a congregation is too small to implement this program, they should join forces with men of a larger one.
בבל ישונה, חק ולא יעבור
This statute — that the entire Talmud be studied every year — shall not be varied or violated.
וכל אחד ואחד מהלומדים הנ״ל יגמור לעצמו בכל שבוע התמניא אפי שבתהלים קי״ט
In addition, each of the participants shall individually read the whole of the eightfold Psalm 119 every week.13
The Previous Rebbe comments on the connection between completing the study of the Talmud and the recitation of Psalms as follows:14 “From here we see that the study of Gemara is complete only when it is accompanied by the recitation of Tehillim; and in order to recite Tehillim properly, one needs to study Gemara.”
ולהיות מחמת חלישות הדור, אין כח בכל אחד ואחד להתענות כראוי לו
Moreover, since, due to the frailty of our times, not everyone is capable of fasting as he ought,
In Iggeret HaTeshuvah15 the Alter Rebbe cites the classical works of Mussar as to the number of fasts prescribed for each major sin, so that a penitent will be able to render himself as acceptable to G‑d after his repentance as he was before sinning.
לזאת עצה היעוצה, כמאמר רז״ל: כל השומר שבת כהלכתו, מוחלין לו על כל עוונותיו
the counsel offered follows the declaration of our Sages, of blessed memory,16 “Whoever observes Shabbat according to its law, is forgiven all his sins.”
כהלכתו דייקא
The term “according to its law” is used advisedly, for the Shabbat cannot be properly observed without a knowledge of its laws.
לכן מוטל על כל אחד ואחד, להיות בקי בהלכתא רבתי לשבתא
It is therefore incumbent upon every individual to master the “great law” of Shabbat.
The term “great law” echoes the expression in the Gemara17 regarding checking one’s clothes before sundown on Friday in order not to transgress a prohibition later. The laws of Shabbat thus not only inform us of what is prohibited, but also of how to avoid transgression.
וגם יזהר מאד שלא לשוח שום שיחה בטילה, חס ושלום
Also, be most careful [on Shabbat] not to indulge in idle chatter, G‑d forbid.
בהיות מודעת זאת ליודעי חכמה נסתרת, כי בכל המצות יש פנימיות וחיצוניות
For, as is known to the initiates in the mystical wisdom [of Kabbalah], all the mitzvot comprise an internal and an external aspect — the spirituality of the mitzvah, and the physical act which it requires.
וחיצוניות מהשבת היא שביתה מעשיה גשמיית, כמו ששבת ה׳ מעשות שמים וארץ גשמיים
The externality of the [mitzvah of] Shabbat is the cessation of physical activity, just as G‑d ceased making the physical heaven and earth.
ופנימיות השבת היא הכוונה בתפלת השבת ובתלמוד תורה, לדבקה בה׳ אחד
The internal dimension of Shabbat is one’s intention in the Shabbat prayers and during one’s Torah study, to cleave to the One G‑d,
כמו שכתוב: שבת לה׳ אלקיך
as it is written,18 “It is Shabbat to the L‑rd your G‑d.”
Underlying the cessation of labor on Shabbat is the concept of elevation. When a person rests from his labor at any time, the energy that had been vested in it rises and returns to its source within the soul. So, too, the cessation of labor and resting on Shabbat means that the soul, which during the week had been immersed in mundane activities, is uplifted “to the L‑rd your G‑d.”
וזו היא בחינת זכור
This [internal level of the mitzvah of Shabbat] is the element of “remembering”.
The Shabbat comprises two elements, “remembering” (zachor) and “observing” (shamor), reflecting the two commandments,19 “Remember the Shabbat day, to sanctify it,” and20 “Observe the Shabbat day, to sanctify it.” Elevating the soul on Shabbat through proper intent (kavanah) during prayer and Torah study, is an act of “remembering”.
ובחינת שמור בפנימיות, היא השביתה מדיבורים גשמיים, כמו ששבת ה׳ מיו״ד מאמרות שנבראו בהם שמים וארץ גשמיים
The inner dimension of the element of “observing” is refraining from speech about material affairs, just as G‑d ceased from the Ten Utterances through which the physical heaven and earth were created.
The external aspect of “observing” is refraining from active labor; the internal aspect of “observing” is refraining and resting from speech about material affairs.
כי זה לעומת זה כו׳
For21 “one opposite the other...” — speaking about material affairs on Shabbat is the inverse of the rest and elevation that a Jew secures on Shabbat, through prayer and Torah study.
| FOOTNOTES | |
| 1. | Vayikra 19:17. |
| 2. | Bava Metzia 31a. |
| 3. | Cf. Shmot 32:18. |
| 4. | Taanit 2a; Sifrei, commenting on Devarim 11:13. |
| 5. |
Note of the Rebbe (in Likkutei Biurim, foot of p. 487): “‘To stride forth’ — cf. the expression in the Responsa of the Rashba 1:450 (quoted in Bet Yosef, Orach Chayim 53); ‘to snatch’ — cf. Chullin 133a [regarding the priestly dues], and Yalkut Shimoni (quoted in Rashi) on Balak, sec. 769: ‘snatches Keriat Shema.’”
“Efrati — possibly the intent is to both explanations that the Radak offers on this word (I Samuel 1:1): ‘person of distinguished lineage,’ and ‘one who shares in something sanctified.’”
|
| 6. | Vayikra 19:17. |
| 7. | Vayikra 19:17. |
| 8. | Parentheses are in the original text. |
| 9. | See Likkutei Sichot, Vol. XXIII, p. 415. |
| 10. | Shmot 6:7. |
| 11. | Cf. Iyov 11:6. |
| 12. | Note of the Rebbe: “Cf. Tehillim 31:25.” |
| 13. | Note of the Rebbe: “I have not observed that people make a point of doing this.” Elsewhere the Rebbe adds: “It will be noted that in many places it is customary to recite this Psalm on Shabbat after Minchah (and this too was the custom of my revered father, of blessed memory).” |
| 14. | Sefer HaSichot 5704, p. 48. |
| 15. | Ch. 3. |
| 16. | Shabbat 118b. |
| 17. | Ibid. 12a. |
| 18. | Shmot 20:10. |
| 19. | Ibid., verse 8. |
| 20. | Devarim 5:12. |
| 21. | Cf. Kohelet 7:14. |
• Sefer Hamitzvot:
English Text | Hebrew Text
Audio: Listen | Download | Video ClassWednesday, Kislev 18, 5778 · December 6, 2017
Today's Mitzvah
A daily digest of Maimonides’ classic work "Sefer Hamitzvot"
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Negative Commandment 355
Out of Wedlock Intimacy
"There shall be no indecent women among the daughters of Israel"—Deuteronomy 23:18.
It is forbidden for a man and woman to be intimate unless married to each other.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
Out of Wedlock Intimacy
Negative Commandment 355
Translated by Berel Bell
The 355th prohibition is that we are forbidden from having relations with a woman without [giving her] a Kesubah and acquiring her (kiddushin).
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement1 (exalted be He), "There may not be any prostitutes among Jewish girls."
This same commandment is repeated, but using a different expression, in G‑d's statement2 (exalted be He), "Do not defile your daughter with premarital relations." The Sifra says, " 'Do not defile your daughter' — this command is directed towards a man who hands over his unmarried daughter for sexual relations without marriage, as well as a girl who herself has sexual relations without marriage."
Now listen as I explain why the prohibition is repeated with this wording,3 and what the repetition adds. G‑d (exalted be He) has already instructed us in the Torah that a man who has relations with a virgin incurs none of the punishments4, regardless of whether he seduced or raped her. Rather, he must pay a monetary fine and marry the girl that he harmed, as explained in the Torah.5
Accordingly, a person might think that since the offender is only required to pay a fine, therefore this is looked upon as a purely financial case. Therefore, just as a person, if he wishes, is allowed to give away his money to another person, or to forgive a debt, so too, [he might think,] he may take his unmarried daughter and give her to a man to have relations with her. This would be like forgiving a debt due to him, since the 50 silver [shekels which the seducer or rapist must pay] go to the father. Alternatively, a person might think that [since this is purely a financial matter,] he may give his daughter on condition that the man pays a certain amount of money.
Therefore, the Torah prohibited this and said, "Do not defile your daughter with premarital relations." The monetary fine only refers to a case where the seduction or rape actually occurred. But it is still completely forbidden for them to engage in sexual relations, even when they both agree.
The Torah also reveals the reason for this prohibition: ["Do not defile your daughter with premarital relations,] and you will then not make the land sexually immoral, and the land [will not] be filled with perversion." The explanation of this: seduction and rape occur very rarely, but if the Torah allowed premarital relations when both parties agree, it would occur often and become widespread throughout the world.
This is a fine and wondrous explanation of this verse, and fits all the sayings of our Sages and laws of the Torah.
This prohibition, i.e. the prohibition of [having relations with] an unmarried woman, is punishable by lashes.
The details of this mitzvah are explained in Kesubos and Kiddushin.
FOOTNOTES
1.Deut. 23:18.
2.Lev. 19:29.
3.Directed to the father, unlike the other verse, which is phrased as a general prohibition.
4.. Such as lashes or execution.
5.Ex. 22:15. Deut. 22:28. See P220, P218.
Rambam:
• 1 Chapter A Day: Tefilah and Birkat Kohanim Tefilah and Birkat Kohanim - Chapter Nine
English Text | Hebrew Text
Audio: Listen | Download | Video ClassTefilah and Birkat Kohanim - Chapter Nine
1
The order of prayer is as follows:
In the morning, [while] all the people are sitting, the leader of the congregation descends before the ark in the midst of the people and recites the Kaddish. Everyone responds with all their strength: Amen. Yehei shemeih rabba mevarach le'alam ul'almei almaya. They answer "Amen" at the end of the Kaddish.
Afterwards, [the chazan] declares: Barchu et Ado-nai hamevorach, and they answer: Baruch Ado-nai hamevorach le'olam va'ed. He then begins by reciting the Shema and its blessings out loud. They answer "Amen" after each blessing.
A person who knows how to recite the blessings and read [the Shema] with him should read [the blessings by himself] until he recites the blessing ga'al Yisrael.
א
סדר תפלות הציבור כך הוא:
בשחר כל העם יושבים ושליח ציבור יורד לפני התיבה ועומד באמצע העם ומתחיל ואומר קדיש וכל העם עונים אמן יהא שמיה רבא מברך לעלם ולעלמי עלמיא בכל כחן ועונין אמן בסוף קדיש ואחר כך אומר ברכו את יי' המבורך והם עונים ברוך יי' המבורך לעולם ועד ומתחיל ופורס על שמע בקול רם והם עונים אמן אחר כל ברכה וברכה והיודע לברך ולקרות עמו קורא עד שמברך גאל ישראל:
2
Immediately [afterwards], all stand and pray in a hushed tone. A person who does not know how to pray should stand in silence while the leader of the congregation prays in a hushed tone together with the others. Whoever concludes his prayers with the congregation should take three steps back and stand [still] in the place he reached when he stepped backwards.
ב
והכל עומדין מיד ומתפללים בלחש ומי שאינו יודע להתפלל עומד ושותק עד שיתפלל שליח ציבור בלחש עם שאר העם וכל מי שיגמור תפלתו עם הציבור יפסיע שלש פסיעות לאחוריו ויעמוד במקום שהגיע אליו בעת שיפסיע:
3
After the leader of the congregation takes three steps backwards and stands still, he begins and prays in a loud voice from the beginning of the blessings, in order to fulfill the obligation on behalf of those who did not pray.
Everyone - both those who did not fulfill their obligation [to pray] and those who fulfilled their obligation - stands, listens, and recites "Amen" after each and every blessing.
ג
ואחר שיפסיע שליח ציבור שלש פסיעות לאחוריו ויעמוד מתחיל ומתפלל בקול רם מתחילת הברכות להוציא את מי שלא התפלל והכל עומדים ושומעים ועונין אמן אחר כל ברכה וברכה בין אלו שלא יצאו ידי חובתן בין אלו שכבר יצאו ידי חובתן:
4
[The leader of the congregation] recites Kedushah in the third blessing.
When the leader of the congregation reaches Kedushah, each individual may return to the place where he originally stood in prayer.
When the leader of the congregation reaches Modim and bows, everyone should also bow - but not bow exceedingly - and say:
We give thanks to You, God, our Lord, and Lord of all flesh, our Creator and the Creator of all existence. [We offer] blessings and thanks to Your great and holy name, for You have granted us life and sustained us. So may You continue to grant us life and sustain us, and gather our exiles into the courtyards of Your Sanctuary [so that we may] keep Your laws, serve You in truth, and fulfill Your will with a perfect heart, for we thankfully acknowledge You.
Whoever says Modim, modim should be silenced.
ד
ואומר קדושה בברכה שלישית וכיון שהגיע שליח ציבור לקדושה יש רשות לכל אחד ואחד לחזור במקום שעמד בו בתפלה וכשיגיע שליח ציבור למודים וכורע כל העם שוחין מעט ולא ישחו יותר מדאי ואומרים מודים אנחנו לך יי' אלהינו ואלהי כל בשר יוצרנו יוצר בראשית ברכות והודאות לשמך הגדול והקדוש על שהחייתנו וקיימתנו כן תחיינו ותחננו ותאסוף גליותינו לחצרות קדשך לשמור חוקיך ולעבדך באמת ולעשות רצונך בלבב שלם על שאנו מודים לך וכל האומר מודים מודים משתקין אותו:
5
After the leader of the congregation concludes the entire Shemoneh Esreh, he and the entire congregation should sit, fall on their faces, and lean over slightly, reciting supplicatory prayers while fallen on their faces.
Then, he and the entire congregation should sit, lift their heads, and recite a small amount of supplicatory prayer out loud while seated. Afterwards, the leader of the congregation alone should stand and recite Kaddish a second time. The congregation should answer as they did previously.
Afterwards, while he is standing, he recites V'hu rachum... and Tehillah [l'David]... The congregation remains seated and recites together with him. Afterwards, he recites [the following verses]: U'va l'Tzion go'el..., Va'ani zot..., V'attah kadosh... and V'kara zeh el zeh, v'amar: Kadosh... and completes the Kedushah.
They respond: Kadosh, Kadosh three times. He then recites the Kedushah in an Aramaic translation. Afterwards, he recites [the verse] Vatisa'eni ruach and reads it in Aramaic, and then recites [the verse], Ado-nai yimloch le'olam va'ed and reads it in Aramaic. [The Aramaic translations are intended] in order that the [common] people should understand.
ה
ואחר שישלים כל התפלה ישב ויפול על פניו ויטה מעט הוא וכל הציבור ויתחנן והוא נופל וישב ויגביה ראשו הוא ושאר העם ומתחנן מעט בקול רם מיושב ואחר כך יעמוד שליח ציבור לבדו ואומר קדיש פעם שנייה והם עונים כדרך שעונין בתחלה ואומר והוא רחום וכו' תהלה וכו' הוא עומד והם יושבים והם קוראים עמו ואח"כ אומר ובא לציון גואל וכו' ואני זאת וכו' ואתה קדוש וקרא זה אל זה ואמר קדוש וגומר הקדושה והם עונין קדוש קדוש שלש פעמים וחוזר וקורא הקדושה תרגום ואומר ותשאני רוח וכו' וקורא אותו תרגום ואומר יי' ימלוך לעולם ועד וקוראהו תרגום כדי להבין העם:
6
These verses [which are recited] before Kedushah and afterwards, together with their Aramaic translations, are referred to as "the order of Kedushah."
Afterwards, he recites supplicatory prayers and verses of mercy. He then recites the Kaddish. The people respond as is customary, and depart.
ו
ואלו הפסוקים שלפני הקדושה ושל אחריה עם תרגומן הם הנקראין סדר קדושה ואחר כך מתחנן בדברי תחנונים ובפסוקי רחמים ואומר קדיש וכל העם עונין כדרכן ונפטרין:
7
One who says in his supplicatory prayers: "May He who showed mercy on a bird's nest prohibiting the taking of the mother together with the chicks, or the slaughter of an animal and its calf on the same day, also show mercy on us," or [makes other] similar statements should be silenced, because these mitzvot are God's decrees and not [expressions] of mercy. Were they [expressions] of mercy, He would not permit us to slaughter at all.
Also, a person should not be profuse in his mention of adjectives describing God, and say: "The great, mighty, awesome, powerful, courageous, and strong God," for it is impossible for man to express the totality of His praises. Instead, one should mention [only] the praises that were mentioned by Moses, of blessed memory.
ז
מי שאמר בתחנונים מי שריחם על קן ציפור שלא ליקח האם על הבנים או שלא לשחוט אותו ואת בנו ביום אחד ירחם עלינו וכיוצא בענין זה משתקין אותו מפני שמצות אלו גזרת הכתוב הן ואינן רחמים שאילו היו מפני רחמים לא היה מתיר לנו שחיטה כל עיקר וכן לא ירבה בכנוים של שם ויאמר האל הגדול הגבור והנורא והחזק והאמיץ והעיזוז שאין כח באדם להגיע בסוף שבחיו אלא אומר מה שאמר משה רבינו עליו השלום:
8
In the Minchah service, the leader of the congregation recites Ashrei yoshvei veitecha..., Tehillah l'David.... He and the congregation recite this while seated. [Then,] the leader of the congregation stands and recites Kaddish. They stand and respond in their normal manner. [Afterwards,] they all pray in a hushed tone.
Afterwards, the leader of the congregation prays out loud, as in the morning service, until he concludes the Shemoneh Esreh. Then, both he and the congregation fall on their faces, recite supplicatory prayers, lift their heads, and recite a few supplicatory prayers while seated, as in the morning service.
[The leader of the congregation] rises and recites Kaddish. The congregation responds in the normal manner and they depart to their affairs.
ח
במנחה אומר שליח ציבור אשרי יושבי ביתך וכו' תהלה לדוד וכו' קורא הוא והעם מיושב ועומד שליח ציבור ואומר קדיש והם עומדים אחריו ועונין כדרכן ומתפללין כולם בלחש ואח"כ חוזר שליח ציבור ומתפלל בקול רם כדרך שעשה בשחרית עד שישלים כל התפלה ונופלים על פניהם ומתחנן ומגביה ראשו הוא והם ומתחנן מעט מיושב כדרך שעשה בשחרית ועומד ואומר קדיש וכל העם עונין כדרכן ונפטרין למעשיהם:
9
In the evening, all the people sit, and [the leader of the congregation] stands and recites: V'hu rachum.... [He announces:] Barchu et Ado-nai hamevorach, and they answer: Baruch Ado-nai hamevorach le'olam va'ed. He then begins by reciting the Shema and its blessings out loud and recites Kaddish. [Afterwards,] they all stand and pray in a hushed tone.
When they conclude, [the leader of the congregation] recites Kaddish and they depart. He does not repeat the evening Shemoneh Esreh out loud, since the evening service is not obligatory. Therefore, he should not recite blessings in vain, for there is no one who is obligated [to recite these blessings] whose obligation he would fulfill [by his recitation].
ט
בערב כל העם יושבין והוא עומד ואומר והוא רחום כו' ברכן את יי' המבורך וכו' והם עונין ברוך יי' המבורך לעולם ועד ומתחיל לפרוס על שמע ואומר קדיש ואחר כך הכל עומדים ומתפללין בלחש וכשמשלימין אומר קדיש והם נפטרין ואינו חוזר להתפלל בקול רם ערבית לפי שאין תפלת ערבית חובה לפיכך לא יברך ברכות לבטלה שאין כאן אדם שנתחייב בהם כדי להוציאו ידי חובתו:
10
On the night of the Sabbath, after praying together with the congregation in a hushed tone, the leader of the congregation prays out loud. However, he does not recite all seven blessings, but rather one blessing that includes all seven. He states:
Blessed are You, God, our Lord and Lord of our fathers, the Lord of Abraham, the Lord of Isaac, and the Lord of Jacob, the great, mighty, and awesome God, the supreme God, who, in His mercies, creates heaven and earth.
He shielded our ancestors with His word. He resurrects the dead with His statements - the holy God, like whom there is none. He causes His people to rest on His holy Sabbath, for to them did He desire to grant rest. We will serve Him with awe and fear and give thanks to His name every day, continually, according to the blessings [appropriate for that day]. God who is worthy of thanks, Lord of peace, who sanctifies the Sabbath and blesses the seventh day and brings rest with holiness to a people satiated with delight in commemoration of the work of creation.
Our Lord, and Lord of our fathers, desire our rest.... Blessed are You, God, who sanctifies the Sabbath.
He recites Kaddish and the people depart.
י
בלילי שבתות חוזר ש"ץ אחר שמתפלל בלחש עם הציבור ומתפלל בקום רם אבל אינו מתפלל שבע אלא ברכה אחת מעין שבע וכן הוא אומר ברוך אתה יי' אלהינו ואלהי אבותינו אלהי אברהם אלהי יצחק ואלהי יעקב האל הגדול הגבור והנורא אל עליון קונה ברחמיו שמים וארץ מגן אבות בדברו מחיה מתים במאמרו האל הקדוש שאין כמוהו המניח לעמו בשבת קדשו כי בם רצה להניח להם לפניו נעבוד ביראה ופחד ונודה לשמו בכל יום תמיד מעין הברכות אל ההודאות אדון השלום מקדש השבת ומברך השביעי ומניח בקדושה לעם מדושני עונג זכר למעשה בראשית אלהינו ואלהי אבותינו רצה נא במנוחתנו וכו' ברוך אתה יי' מקדש השבת ואומר קדיש ונפטרין כל העם
11
Why did the Sages institute this [practice]? Because the majority of people come to recite the evening service on Friday night. It is possible that someone will come late, remain alone in the synagogue, and thus be endangered. Accordingly, the leader of the congregation repeats his prayers in order that the entire congregation will remain, [allowing] the one who came late to conclude his prayers and leave together with them.
יא
ולמה תקנו חכמים זה מפני שרוב העם באין להתפלל ערבית בלילי שבתות ויהיה שם מי שנתאחר לבא ולא השלים תפלתו וישאר לבדו בבה"כ ויבא לידי סכנה לפיכך חוזר שליח ציבור ומתפלל כדי שיתעכבו כל העם עד שישלים המתאחר ויצא עמהם:
12
Therefore, when a festival, Rosh Chodesh or Yom Kippur coincides with the Sabbath, the leader of the congregation who recites the evening service does not mention the unique aspect of the day in this blessing. Instead, he concludes, "[Blessed are You, God,] who sanctifies the Sabbath," [mentioning] only [the Sabbath], because [on the other] days, there is no obligation [to recite] this blessing.
יב
יב. לפיכך יום טוב שחל להיות בשבת או יוה"כ או ראש חדש אין שליח ציבור היורד ערבית לפני התיבה מזכיר ענין היום בברכה זו אבל חותם בה מקדש השבת בלבד לפי שלא נתחייב היום בברכה זו:
13
On the Sabbaths and the festivals, after the leader of the congregation completes the recitation of the Shemoneh Esreh of the morning service out loud, he recites Kaddish and afterwards, Tehillah l'David. He recites Kaddish [again] and [the congregation] recites Musaf in a hushed tone. Afterwards, he recites the Musaf Shemoneh Esreh out loud, in the same manner as the morning service. He recites Kaddish after Musaf and the people depart.
We do not recite Kedushah and supplicatory prayers after the morning service. Instead, we recite them before the Minchah service. What is implied? We recite Tehillah l'David, the order of the day, and supplicatory prayers. [The leader of the congregation] recites Kaddish and the Minchah service is recited [in a hushed tone.] Afterwards, [the leader of the congregation] repeats the service out loud, and then recites Kaddish.
יג
בשבתות וימים טובים כשגומר שליח ציבור תפלת שחרית בקול רם אומר קדיש ואח"כ תהלה לדוד וכו' ואומר קדיש ומתפללין מוסף בלחש ואחר כך מתפלל מוסף בקול רם כדרך שעשה בשחרית ואומר קדיש אחר תפלת מוסף והעם נפטרין ואין אומרין קדושה ותחנונים אחר תפלת שחרית כשאר הימים אלא אומר אותה קודם תפלת המנחה כיצד קורא תהלה לדוד ואומר סדר היום ודברי תחנונים ואומר קדיש ומתפללין מנחה וחוזר ומשמיע תפלת מנחה בקול רם ואומר קדיש:
14
On Rosh Chodesh and Chol Hamo'ed, one recites the order of kedushah before the Musaf prayer. On the night following the Sabbath, the order of the day is also recited after the evening service. [Then] one recites Kaddish and afterwards, Havdalah.
יד
בראשי חדשים ובחולו של מועד אומר סדר קדושה קודם תפלת מוסף במוצאי שבת אומר סדר היום גם אחר תפלת הערב ואומרים קדיש ואח"כ מבדיל:
Rambam:
• 3 Chapters A Day: Ishut Ishut - Chapter Five, Ishut Ishut - Chapter Six, Ishut Ishut - Chapter Seven
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1
When a man consecrates a woman with an object from which it is forbidden to derive benefit - e.g., a mixture of milk and meat, chametz on Pesach, or other similar objects from which it is prohibited to derive benefit - she is not consecrated.1 [This ruling applies] even if the prohibition against deriving benefit from the object is merely Rabbinic in origin2 - e.g., chametz during the sixth hour on the fourteenth of Nisan.
א
המקדש בדבר שהוא אסור בהנאה כגון חמץ בפסח או בשר בחלב וכיוצא בהן משאר איסורי הנאה אינה מקודשת. ואפילו היה אסור בהנאה מדבריהם כגון חמץ בשעה ששית מיום י"ד אינה מקודשת:
2
If a man transgresses and sells an article from which it is forbidden to derive benefit, and consecrates [a woman] with the money [he receives] for it, the kiddushin are valid. [There is one] exception. If a person consecrates a woman with the money [received] for a false deity, the kiddushin are not valid. For it is forbidden to derive benefit from the money received for a false deity, just as [it is forbidden to derive benefit from] the false deity itself.3
When [a man] consecrates [a woman] with the dung of cows [consecrated to] a false deity, the kiddushin are not valid. For it is forbidden to derive benefit from anything produced by entities [consecrated to] a false deity, as [Deuteronomy 13:18] states: "Let nothing that is condemned cling to your hand."
If, by contrast, [a man] consecrates [a woman] with the dung of an ox condemned to be stoned,4 the kiddushin are binding. Although it is forbidden to derive benefit from an ox condemned to be stoned, this prohibition does not apply to its dung. For the dung is considered of negligible importance when compared to the ox.
ב
עבר ומכר דבר האסור בהנאה וקידש בדמיו הרי זו מקודשת חוץ מעכו"ם שאם קידש בדמיה אינה מקודשת מפני שדמי עכו"ם אסורין בהנאה כמוה. המקדש בפרש עגלי עכו"ם אינה מקודשת שהכל מעכו"ם אסור בהנאה שנאמר ולא ידבק בידך מאומה מן החרם. אבל המקדש בפרש שור הנסקל הרי זו מקודשת אע"פ ששור הנסקל אסור בהנאה פרשו אינו אסור בהנאה שאינו דבר חשוב לגבי השור:
3
When [a man] consecrates [a woman] with the produce of the Sabbatical year,5 with the ashes of the Red Heifer, or with water that was drawn for the purpose of sprinkling [the ashes of the Red Heifer],6 the kiddushin are valid.
[The following rules apply when a man] consecrates [a woman] with property dedicated to the Temple. If he was unaware [that the property had been dedicated], the kiddushin are valid. He must give the value [of the dedicated property] and an [additional fifth] to the Temple treasury and bring a guilt offering, as is required of all those who unwittingly make mundane use of property dedicated to the Temple.7 If he consecrated the woman knowing [that the property was dedicated], she is not consecrated.8
ג
המקדש בפירות שביעית או באפר פרה אדומה או במים שמילאן לעשותן מי נדה הרי זו מקודשת. המקדש בהקדש של בדק הבית בשוגג הרי זו מקודשת. והוא ישלם קרן וחומש להקדש ויביא אשמו כדין כל מועל בשגגה. ואם קידש בו אשה במזיד אינה מקודשת:
4
When [a man] consecrates [a woman] with the produce of the second tithe - whether unknowingly or knowingly - the kiddushin are not valid. For unless a person redeems [this produce], it does not belong to him to use for his other purposes, since with regard to [this] tithe, [Leviticus 27:30] states: "It is God's."9
ד
קידשה במעשר שני בין בשוגג בין במזיד אינה מקודשת. לפי שאין לו לעשות בו שאר חפציו עד שיתחלל שנאמר במעשר ליי' הוא:
5
When a priest consecrates [a woman] with his share of offerings of the most sacred nature or [his share of] offerings of lesser sanctity, she is not consecrated. For one was permitted merely to eat these sacrifices.
When, by contrast, a priest consecrates [a woman] with the great terumah, the terumah taken from the tithe or with the first fruits, the kiddushin are binding. [This same ruling applies] when a Levite consecrates [a woman] with [produce from] the first tithe, or an Israelite consecrates [a woman] with [produce from] the tithe of the poor.10
ה
כהן שקידש בחלקו מקדשי קדשים או מקדשים קלים אינה מקודשת מפני שלא הותרו אלא לאכילה בלבד. אבל כהן שקידש בתרומה גדולה ובתרומת מעשר ובבכורים וכן לוי שקידש במעשר ראשון וישראל שקידש במעשר עני הרי זו מקודשת:
6
The gifts [required to be separated from produce] that have not been separated are considered as if they have already been separated. Therefore, when an Israelite inherited produce from his maternal grandfather who was a priest, and none of the required gifts had been separated from that produce, he may separate the terumah and the tithes [and keep the portions to be given to the priests as his own]. It is as if he inherited the terumah and the tithes from his maternal grandfather. Therefore, if he consecrates a woman with them, she is consecrated. Although they are not fit for [the Israelite] to eat, he has the right to sell them to someone for whom they are fit.
When, by contrast, an Israelite consecrates [a woman] with terumah that he separates from his grain heap, the kiddushin are not effective. For he does not have the right to sell this terumah; he possesses merely the privilege of giving it to the priest of his choice. This privilege is not considered to be money.
ו
מתנות שלא הורמו הרי הם כמו שהורמו. לפיכך ישראל שנפלו לו טבלים מבית אבי אמו כהן והפריש מהן תרומה ומעשרות הרי הן כתרומות ומעשרות שנפלו לו בירושה מאבי אמו. ואם קידש בהן אשה הרי זו מקודשת שאע"פ שאינן ראוין לו לאכילה יש לו למוכרן למי שהן ראוין לו. אבל ישראל שקידש בתרומה שהפריש מגרנו אינה מקודשת שהרי אין לו למוכרה ואין לו בה אלא טובת הנאה. לפי שנותנה לכל כהן שירצה וטובת הנאה אינה ממון:
7
[The following rules apply when] a person consecrates a woman [with property that] he robbed, stole or took against its owner's will. If the owner has despaired of the return of the article,11 and it is known12 that [the man] acquired it through the owner's despair, the consecration is effective. If not, it is not valid.
ז
המקדש את האשה בגזל או בגניבה או בחמס. אם נתייאשו הבעלים ונודע שקנה אותו דבר בייאוש הרי זו מקודשת ואם לאו אינה מקודשת:
8
When a person enters a colleague's home and takes an object, food or the like, and consecrates a woman, she is not consecrated. [This ruling applies] even when the owner comes and says, "Why did you not give her a more valuable article than the one you gave her?" He is making this statement only to prevent the person from being shamed [and it does not reflect his true intent]. Since the man consecrated [a woman] with property belonging to a colleague without the colleague's knowledge, this is robbery, and the woman is not consecrated.
If [the man] consecrated [the woman] with an article that the owner would not object [to its being taken] - e.g., a date or a nut - the status of the kiddushin is in doubt.13
ח
הנכנס לבית חבירו ולקח לו כלי או אוכל וכיוצא בהן וקידש בו אשה ובא בעל הבית אע"פ שאמר לו למה לא נתת לה דבר זה שהוא טוב ממה שנתת לה אינה מקודשת. שלא אמר לו דבר זה אלא כדי שלא להתבייש עמו. והואיל וקידש בממון חבירו שלא מדעת חבירו הרי זה גזל ואינה מקודשת. ואם קידשה בדבר שאין בעל הבית מקפיד עליו כגון תמרה או אגוז הרי זו מקודשת מספק:
9
When a person owns merchandise in partnership with a colleague and divides the merchandise without his colleague's knowledge, using it to consecrate [a woman], the kiddushin are not valid. [The rationale is that for the division of a partnership's assets to be effective,] an evaluation by the court is necessary. One [partner] may not take what he wants as his own and leave [the remainder for his colleague].
ט
היתה סחורה בינו ובין חבירו וחלקה שלא מדעת חבירו וקידש בחלקו הואיל וצריכה שומת ב"ד אינה מקודשת שאין זה נוטל לעצמו מה שירצה ויניח מה שירצה:
10
[The following rules apply when] a person robbed or stole an article from a woman or took it without her consent, and afterwards consecrated her with the article that he took from her, saying: "Behold, you are consecrated to me with this." If the two were already engaged, and she took the article in silence, she is consecrated.14If, however, there was never an engagement between them, she is not consecrated, even if she remained silent when he gave her [the stolen articles] as kiddushin.15 If, however, she explicitly agreed [to the kiddushin], she is consecrated.
י
גזל את האשה או גנב ממנה או חמסה וחזר וקידשה בגזל ובגניבה ובחמס שלה ואמר לה הרי את מקודשת בו. אם קדם ביניהן שידוכין ונטלה ושתקה הרי זו מקודשת. ואם לא שידך אותה מעולם אף ע"פ ששתקה כשנתן לה דברים אלו בתורת קידושין אינה מקודשת. ואם אמרה הן הרי זו מקודשת:
11
Similar [concepts apply when a man] entrusts an article to [a woman] for safekeeping and tells her: "Take care of this article," and afterwards tells her: "Behold, you are consecrated with it." If he told her this before she took [possession of] the article, and she took it in silence, she is consecrated. If, however, he made his second statement after she had accepted the article for the purpose of safekeeping, and she remained silent, [the kiddushin] are not valid. For whenever [a woman] remains silent after money has been given, [the kiddushin] are not valid. If, however, she explicitly agreed, she is consecrated, even though she made the statement after accepting the article.16
יא
וכן אם נתן לה פקדון ואמר לה כנסי פקדון זה וחזר ואמר לה הרי את מקודשת לי בו. אם אמר לה קודם שנטלתו ונטלתו ושתקה הרי זו מקודשת. ואם אחר שנטלתו בתורת פקדון אמר לה הרי את מקודשת בו ושתקה אין זה כלום שכל שתיקה שלאחר מתן מעות אינה מועלת. אבל אם אמרה הן אחר שנטלה הרי זו מקודשת:
12
[The following rules apply when a man] pays a debt that he owed [a woman] and [upon paying it,] says: "You are consecrated with it." If the two were engaged, [the man made the statement] before she accepted the money, and she accepted it in silence, she is consecrated. If they were not engaged, she is not consecrated unless she explicitly agrees.
If he states [his desire to consecrate her] after she accepted payment of the debt, she is not consecrated, even if she explicitly agrees. For nothing has been given her; she merely took what was rightfully hers. The debt he owed was repaid when she took the money, and she cannot demand repayment again.
יב
החזיר לה חוב שהיה לה אצלו ואמר לה הרי את מקודשת בו קודם שתטלנו ונטלתו ושתקה. אם היה ביניהן שידוכין הרי זו מקודשת. ואם לא שידך אינה מקודשת עד שתאמר הן. ואם אמר לה אחר שנטלה החוב שלה הרי את מקודשת בו אפילו אמרה הן אינה מקודשת. שהרי לא הגיע לידה ממנו כלום אלא שלה נטלה וכבר נפרע חובו משעה שנטלה ואינה יכולה לחזור ולתובעו בחוב פעם אחרת:
13
When [a man] consecrates [a woman] with a debt, even with [a debt that is recorded] in a promissory note,17 she is not consecrated.
What is implied? [The woman] owed [the man] a dinar; if he tells her, "Behold, you are consecrated to me with the dinar that you owe me," she is not consecrated. [The rationale is that] a loan is given to be spent, and there is nothing that presently exists for her to derive benefit from [and to accept as kiddushin]. For she has [- or it is as if she has - ]18 already spent that dinar and has derived benefit from it already.
יג
המקדש במלוה אפילו היתה בשטר אינה מקודשת. כיצד כגון שהיה לו אצלה חוב דינר ואמר לה הרי את מקודשת לי בדינר שיש לי בידך אינה מקודשת. מפני שהמלוה להוצאה ניתנה ואין כאן שום דבר קיים ליהנות בו מעתה שכבר הוציאה אותו דינר ועברה הנאתו:
14
[A different rule applies when] he has given her a loan [and received] collateral for it. If he consecrates her with the loan and returns the collateral,19 she is consecrated. For she derives benefit from the collateral from that time onward, and thus, [as a result of the kiddushin,] she has derived benefit.
יד
היה לו אצלה מלוה על המשכון וקידשה באותה המלוה והחזיר לה המשכון הרי זו מקודשת שהרי היא נהנית במשכון מעתה והרי הגיע הנאה לידה:
15
When [a man] consecrates [a woman] with the benefit [derived from] a loan, the consecration is valid.
What is implied? The consecration is binding if he lends her 200 zuz [at the time of the kiddushin] and tells her: "Behold, you are consecrated to me through the benefit [you receive] by my extending the length of this loan for you. It may be in your possession for so many days, and I will not demand payment until this date." For she is receiving benefit now [from the opportunity] to use the loan until the end of the time period fixed.
It is forbidden to make [such a condition], because it is like taking interest.20 My teachers interpreted the expression "the benefit [derived from] a loan," in a way that is not worthy of mention.21
טו
המקדש בהנאת מלוה הרי זו מקודשת. כיצד כגון שהלוה אותה עתה מאתים זוז ואמר לה הרי את מקודשת לי בהנאת זמן שארויח לך במלוה זו שתהיה בידך כך וכך יום ואיני תובעה ממך עד זמן פלוני הרי זו מקודשת. שהרי יש לה הנאה מעתה להשתמש במלוה זו עד סוף זמן שקבע. ואסור לעשות כן מפני שהיא כרבית. ופירשו רבותי בהנאת מלוה דברים שאין ראוי לשומען:
16
If [the man] tells [the woman]: "Behold, you are consecrated to me with this p'rutah and with the debt that you owe me," she is consecrated. Similarly, if he tells her, "[Behold, you are consecrated...] with the debt that you owe me and with this p'rutah, the consecration is binding.22
טז
אמר לה הרי את מקודשת לי בפרוטה זו ובחוב שיש לי אצלך הרי זו מקודשת. וכן אם אמר לה במלוה שיש לי אצלך ובפרוטה זו הרי זו מקודשת:
17
When [a man] is owed a debt by a third party, and he tells [a woman] in the presence of the third party: "Behold, you are consecrated to me by virtue of the debt that I am owed by this person," the consecration is binding.23
יז
היה לו חוב ביד אחרים ואמר לה הרי את מקודשת לי בחוב שיש לי ביד זה במעמד שלשתן הרי זו מקודשת:
18
[The following rule applies when a man] consecrates [a woman] with an object that he has entrusted to her for safekeeping or with an article that he has lent her: If the entrusted object or borrowed article is worth a p'rutah24 and it exists within her property, she is consecrated.25
יח
קידשה בפקדון שיש לו בידה או בשאלה שהשאילה. אם היה הפקדון והשאלה פרוטה או שוה פרוטה באחד מהן קיים ברשותה הרי זו מקודשת:
19
[The following rule applies when a man] tells [a woman]: "Behold, you are consecrated to me in consideration of my speaking to the ruling authorities on your behalf." Although [the man] indeed spoke to the ruling authorities on her behalf - [and his words had an effect,] causing them to refrain from prosecuting her, she is not consecrated unless he gives her a p'rutah of his own.
[The rationale is that] the benefit that she received from his speaking [on her behalf] is regarded as a loan,26 and when one consecrates [a woman] with a loan, the kiddushin are not binding.
יט
אמר לה הרי את מקודשת לי בשכר שאדבר עליך לשלטון ודיבר עליה לשלטון והניח השלטון ולא תבעה אינה מקודשת אלא אם נתן לה פרוטה משלו שההנאה שבאה לה מדבריו הרי היא כמלוה והמקדש במלוה אינה מקודשת:
20
[The following rule applies when a man] tells [a woman]: "Behold, you are consecrated to me [in return] for the work that I will perform on your behalf." Although [the man] indeed performs [the work he promised], she is not consecrated unless he gives her a p'rutah of his own.
[The rationale is that] a worker earns his wages [continuously] from [the time he] begins [working] until the end. As he performs a portion of the work, he earns an [equivalent] portion of his wages. Thus, [in the above situation, the man's] wages are considered to be a debt that she [owes him].27 And when one consecrates [a woman] with a loan, the kiddushin are not binding.
כ
הרי את מקודשת לי במלאכה זו שאעשה עמך ועשה אינה מקודשת אלא אם כן נתן לה פרוטה משלו. לפי שהשכירות יזכה בה הפועל מתחלה ועד סוף כל זמן שיעשה מקצת מן המלאכה זוכה במקצת מן השכר ונמצא השכר כולו מלוה אצלה והמקדש במלוה אינה מקודשת:
21
[The following rule applies when a woman] tells [a man]: "Give so and so a present, and I will be consecrated to you." If he tells her, "Behold, you are consecrated to me for the sake of the present I gave upon your request," the kiddushin are binding.28 Although she [personally] did not receive anything, she derived benefit from the fact that her will was carried out, and the other derived benefit because of her.
Similarly, if she told him, "Give a dinar to so and so as a present, and I will be consecrated to him," the kiddushin are binding29 provided the person who receives the present tells [the woman]: "Behold, you are consecrated to me by virtue of the pleasure [you derived] from the present that I received at your request."
כא
האשה שאמרה תן דינר לפלוני מתנה ואתקדש אני לך ונתן ואמר לה הרי את מקודשת לי בהנאת מתנה זו שנתתי על פיך הרי זו מקודשת. אע"פ שלא הגיע לה כלום הרי נהנית ברצונה שנעשה ונהנה פלוני בגללה. וכן אם אמרה לו תן דינר לפלוני מתנה ואתקדש לו ונתן לו וקידשה אותו פלוני ואמר לה הרי את מקודשת לי בהנאת מתנה זו שקבלתי ברצונך הרי זו מקודשת:
22
[To cite a similar instance: A man] tells [a woman]: "Take this dinar as a present and become consecrated to so and so"; the kiddushin are binding provided that the other person tells her: "Behold, you are consecrated to me by virtue of the benefit you received on my behalf," despite the fact that he himself did not give her anything.30
[The following rule applies when a woman] tells [a man]: "Take this dinar as a present and I will become consecrated to you"; he receives the present and tells her "Behold, you are consecrated to me by virtue of the pleasure [you received] in my accepting a present from you." If he is an important person, she is consecrated.31 For she derives satisfaction from the fact that he has benefited from her, and for the sake of this satisfaction, she consecrates herself to him.
כב
אמר לה הילך דינר זה במתנה והתקדשי לפלוני וקידשה אותו פלוני ואמר לה הרי את מקודשת לי בהנאה זו הבאה ליך בגללי הרי זו מקודשת אע"פ שלא נתן לה המקדש כלום. אמרה לו הילך דינר זה מתנה ואתקדש לך ולקחו ואמר לה הרי את מקודשת לי בהנאה זו שקבלתי ממך מתנה אם אדם חשוב הוא הרי זו מקודשת שהנאה יש לה בהיותו נהנה ממנה ובהנאה זו הקנת עצמה לו:
23
When [a man] tells a woman: "Become consecrated to me with a dinar. [Take this article] as security until I give you the dinar," she is not consecrated to him. For she did not receive the dinar, and the security was not given to her for it to be her own.32
If the man has in his possession security that he was given for a debt that a third party owes him, and he gives a woman the security as kiddushin, the consecration is binding although [the security] does not belong to him. For a creditor has certain rights with regard to the ownership of security.33
כג
האומר לאשה התקדשי לי בדינר והרי זה המשכון בידך עד שאתן הדינר אינה מקודשת לו. לפי שלא הגיע הדינר לידה ולא המשכון נתן להיותו שלה. היה בידו משכון על חוב שיש לו אצל אחרים וקידש בו אשה אע"פ שאינו שלו הרי זו מקודשת. לפי שבעל חוב יש לו מקצת קנין בגופו של משכון:
24
When [a man] tells a woman: "Behold, you are consecrated to me with this dinar on condition that you return it to me," she is not consecrated, regardless of whether or not she returns it. For if she does not return it, his condition will not be met. And if she returns it, she will not have derived any benefit, for she will not have received anything.34
כד
האומר לאשה הרי את מקודשת לי בדינר זה על מנת שתחזירהו לי אינה מקודשת בין החזירה בין לא החזירה. שאם לא החזירתו לא נתקיים התנאי. ואם החזירתו הרי לא נהנית ולא הגיע לידה כלום:
25
[These rulings were issued with regard to the following instances:] [A man] gave [a woman] a wreath of myrtle or the like and told her: "Behold, you are consecrated to me with this." She accepted it, but [protested,] saying: "But it is not worth a p'rutah." He responded, "Become consecrated with the four zuz that are hidden in the wreath."
If she said yes, she is consecrated. If she remained silent, she is not consecrated with this money, for remaining silent after money has been given is of no consequence.35 There is nonetheless a doubt: perhaps the kiddushin are valid, lest the wreath be worth a p'rutah in another place.36
כה
נתן לה אגודה של הדס וכיוצא בה ואמר לה הרי את מקודשת לי בזו וקבלה אותו אמרו לו והלא אין בה שוה פרוטה ואמר תתקדש בד' זוזים המוחבאים בתוך האגודה אם אמרה הן הרי זו מקודשת. ואם שתקה אינה מקודשת במעות אלו שהשתיקה שלאחר מתן מעות אינה מועלת כלום ותהיה מקודשת בספק מפני האגודה שמא שוה פרוטה במקום אחר:
26
[The following rules apply when a man] tells a woman: "Become consecrated to me with this date. Become consecrated to me with this one. Become consecrated to me with this one." If one of them is worth a p'rutah, she is consecrated. If not, the kiddushin are merely of doubtful status,37 [their viability stemming only from] the possibility that one of the dates would be considered to be worth a p'rutah in another place.
כו
האומר לאשה התקדשי לי בתמרה זו התקדשי לי בזו התקדשי לי בזו אם יש באחת מהן שוה פרוטה הרי זו מקודשת ואם לאו אינה מקודשת אלא מספק שמא תשוה תמרה אחת פרוטה במקום אחר:
27
[Different rules apply if] he told her: "Become consecrated to me with this one, with this one and with this one." If together, they are all worth a p'rutah, she is consecrated. If not, the status of the kiddushin is doubtful.
[Different rules apply if] she eats [the dates] one after another as he gives them to her: If the last date is worth a p'rutah, she is consecrated. If not, the status of the kiddushin is doubtful. For the dates that she ate are considered to be a loan, and when [a man] consecrates [a woman] with a loan, the kiddushin are not valid. Thus, the status of the kiddushin [depends] solely on [the worth of] the final date.
כז
אמר לה התקדשי לי בזו ובזו ובזו אם יש בכולם שוה פרוטה מקודשת ואם לאו אינה מקודשת אלא מספק. היתה אוכלת ראשונה ראשונה אם יש באחרונה שוה פרוטה מקודשת ואם לאו אינה מקודשת אלא מספק. שאותן תמרים שאכלה הרי הן כמלוה והמקדש במלוה אינה מקודשת ונמצא שאין הקידושין אלא בתמרה אחרונה:
28
If he tells her: "Behold, you are consecrated with these," the kiddushin are binding if all the dates together are worth a p'rutah. [This applies] even when she eats [the dates] one after another as he gives them to her. She is consecrated, for she is eating her own property.
כח
אמר לה הרי את מקודשת לי באלו אם יש בכולן שוה פרוטה מקודשת אף ע"פ שהיא אוכלת ראשונה ראשונה שלה היא אוכלת ומקודשת:
29
[The following rules apply when a man] tells a woman: "Behold, you are consecrated to me with this cup." If it is filled with water, the consecration [depends on the combined value of] the cup itself and its contents. If it is filled with wine, the consecration [depends on the value of] the cup itself, but not its contents. If it is filled with oil, the consecration [depends on the value of] the contents, but not of the cup itself.38
Therefore, if the oil was not worth a p'rutah, the status of the kiddushin is doubtful. If the oil is worth a p'rutah, she is definitely consecrated; no attention is paid to [the value of] the cup.
כט
האומר לאשה הרי את מקודשת לי בכוס זה אם היה מלא מים הרי זו מקודשת בו ובמה שבתוכו. ואם היה מלא יין הרי זו מקודשת בו ולא במה שבתוכו. ואם היה מלא שמן הרי זו מקודשת במה שבתוכו ולא בו. לפיכך אם לא היה בשמן שוה פרוטה הרי זו מקודשת בספק. ואם היה בשמן שוה פרוטה הרי זו מקודשת ודאי ואין משגיחין על הכוס:
FOOTNOTES
1.Since it is forbidden to derive benefit from the article, according to the Torah, it has no value whatsoever. For a woman to be consecrated, she must receive an article worth a p'rutah.
2.The Maggid Mishneh and the Tur (Even HaEzer 28) understand the Rambam as saying that all articles that are forbidden to be used by Rabbinic decree cannot establish a bond of kiddushin. Rav Yosef Karo (in the Kessef Mishneh) differs and explains that the example given by the Rambam specifies the scope of the ruling. Only when a Rabbinic commandment has its source in a prohibition from the Torah are the kiddushin of no effect.
From the Rambam's Commentary on the Mishnah (Pesachim 2:1), his view is clearly that even if the prohibition is entirely Rabbinic in origin, the kiddushin are not binding.
In the Shulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer 28:21), Rav Yosef Karo follows the opinion of Rabbenu Asher, who states that if the article is forbidden by force of Rabbinic decree, and that prohibition has no source in the Torah, the kiddushin are binding. If the prohibition has its source in the Torah, the status of the kiddushin is in doubt.
(The rationale for this ruling is that since, according to Scriptural law, the article is worth money, and the woman accepts it as kiddushin, the criteria for kiddushin have been met.)
The Beit Shmuel 28:52 justifies the Maggid Mishneh's interpretation of the Rambam's view, explaining that since in practice the article is worthless because of the Rabbinic decree, the woman has not been given an article of value, and the kiddushin are not binding. In support, he cites another example: The man must own the article he gives as kiddushin. If he acquired that article through a kinyan (contractual act) that is Rabbinic in origin and is not accepted by Scriptural law, the kiddushin are binding.
Kin'at Eliyahu explains that the difference between these two views can be explained using the concepts of cheftza (the article) and gavra (the person). The Rambam's perspective puts the emphasis on the person, the woman receiving the kiddushin. She must receive an object from which she can derive benefit. Hence, since the Rabbis forbade deriving benefit from such an object, the kiddushin are not binding.
Rabbenu Asher, by contrast, puts the emphasis on the article given as kiddushin. For kiddushin to be effective, an article that is worth a p'rutah must be given. Since according to Scriptural law the article has intrinsic worth, the fact that our Sages forbade using it is not relevant in this context.
3.See Hilchot Avodat Kochavim 7:9.
4.For goring a person. (See Exodus 21:28.)
5.Although the produce of the Sabbatical year is ownerless, once a person takes possession of it, it becomes his private property and has value. Hence, it can be used to consecrate a woman.
6.As the Rambam states in his Commentary on the Mishnah (Kiddushin 2:10, based on Kiddushin 58a), it is forbidden to receive money for consecrating or sprinkling the water of the ashes of the Red Heifer. One may, however, take payment for drawing the water and transporting it. Thus, the woman can derive this benefit from the water and/or ashes she is given.
7.See Hilchot Me'ilah 1:3.
8.For dedicated property that was consciously used for a person's private purposes retains its sacred nature and does not enter the possession of the person to whom it was given. (See Hilchot Me'ilah 6:3.)
9.We are required to eat the produce of the second tithe in Jerusalem or redeem it and use the money to buy food to be eaten in Jerusalem. Although one derives personal benefit from eating this produce, it is not considered to be one's own property.
10.In all the latter instances, although the person receives the produce in question because of the Torah's decree - and with regard to terumah, it still possesses a dimension of ritual sanctity - once he has received it, it is regarded as his personal property entirely, and he may use it as he pleases. Hence, it is fit to be used to consecrate a woman.
11.A thief or robber cannot normally become the legal owner of an article through the owner's despair alone. The article must be given to a third party or undergo a change before it is considered to have left its original owner's property. Nevertheless, in this instance, since the woman receiving can legally acquire the article - for she is a third party - the kiddushin are effective (Maggid Mishneh).
12.The Rambam's intent is that if the witnesses to the consecration know that the article was stolen, they must know that the owner of the article has despaired of its return. If they do not have such knowledge, they cannot serve as witnesses. Hence, the kiddushin are invalid, for it is as if they were performed without being observed by witnesses (Noda Biy'hudah, Even HaEzer, Volume II, Responsum 77).
13.The commentaries have questioned this ruling, for it appears to be the Rambam's own addition. The Noda Biy'hudah (Even HaEzer, Volume I, Responsum 59) states that it would appear that this refers to a situation in which the owner is present and does not object. Nevertheless, since none of the sages of the earlier generations offered this interpretation, he is not willing to do so.
The Edut BiY'hosef (Volume II, Responsum 77) states that this ruling depends on those in the previous halachah. Since kiddushin are valid after the owner relinquishes his ownership of stolen property by despairing of its return, they are valid in the present instance. Since the owner does not object to the person's taking the object, he is considered to have relinquished his ownership. A similar interpretation is found in the Chatam Sofer, Even HaEzer, Responsum 85.
The Beit Shmuel 28:45 states that the doubt is that perhaps the owner indeed objects. The Chatam Sofer explains that the doubt concerns the object's worth. Although it is not of significant value in the place of the kiddushin, maybe it is valuable in another locale, as stated in Chapter 4, Halachah 19.
14.We interpret her silence as implying that she granted him the stolen object as a present and accepted it as kiddushin (Rashi, Kiddushin 52b). There is a difference of opinion among the Rabbis whether or not he is obligated to return the value of the stolen property to her. The Rashba maintains that he is not required, while Rabbenu Nissim states that he is. (See the Ramah and commentaries, Even HaEzer 28:2.)
15.For she merely accepted her own property.
16.Since she acknowledged the kiddushin, the situation becomes parallel to that mentioned in Halachah 18.
17.The Ramah (Even HaEzer 28:7) notes that if the promissory note is worth a p'rutah and he returns it, there are opinions that maintain that the consecration is binding.
18.I.e., even if she has not actually spent the money, from the time she received the loan, the money is hers and not the lender's, and he cannot consecrate her with it (Beit Yosef, Even HaEzer 28). See also Beit Shmuel 28:19.
19.Tosafot, Kiddushin 19a, states that the kiddushin are effective even if the collateral is not returned. Although the Shulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer 28:11) appears to favor the Rambam's view, it also quotes the other opinion.
20.Since in addition to the eventual repayment of the debt, the person also receives the benefit of consecrating the woman, it is regarded like interest. The Rabbis (Meiri, Ma'aseh Rokeach) explain that the Rambam's wording is precise. The expression "like interest" implies that it is not actually considered to be taking interest, as forbidden by Scriptural law.
21.The Rambam is referring to Rabbenu Yitzchak Alfasi, who interprets the passage from Kiddushin 6b as referring to a person who extends the length of a loan at the time that payment is due. The Rambam does not accept that interpretation, because it is not logical that extending the length of the loan would be more effective than forfeiting the debt entirely (Maggid Mishneh).
Rabbenu Yitzchak Alfasi's view is also followed by Rashi and the Ra'avad. The Shulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer 28:9) quotes the Rambam's interpretation (for even the opinions that differ agree that such kiddushin are binding). In the law that follows, it also quotes the opinion of Rabbenu Yitzchak Alfasi. Although the opinion of the Rambam is mentioned, the other view is favored. The Ramah, however, considers the status of the kiddushin to be doubtful because of the Rambam's view.
22.Although the man mentions the debt, since he also gives her a p'rutah, we assume that she considers the money that she actually receives together with the loan. Therefore, the kiddushin are binding (Kiddushin 46a).
23.As stated in Hilchot Mechirah 6:8, when such a statement is made in the presence of all the concerned parties, our Sages accepted it as a formal means of transferring the debt. This law shows that even when money is transferred through means ordained by Rabbinic and not Scriptural law, the kiddushin are binding according to Scriptural law.
There are opinions that maintain that the woman is not consecrated. These opinions maintain that even after such a transfer has been made, the original creditor can nullify a debt that has been transferred through such a process. Since there is a possibility that the debt will be nullified, they maintain that the woman will not make the commitment required by kiddushin. (See Rabbenu Nissim and the Shulchan Aruch, Even HaEzer 28:13 and commentaries.)
24.Our translation is based on the Yemenite manuscripts and early printings of the Mishneh Torah. The wording of the standard printed text is somewhat confusing. It could be rendered: "If a p'rutah's worth of the article remains..." - i.e., even if the article is lost or stolen, if a p'rutah's worth remains - the consecration is binding. See the Shulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer 28:6) and commentaries.
25.If, however, the entrusted object or borrowed article has been lost, stolen or destroyed, even if the woman is obligated to reimburse the man for its value, that obligation is considered similar to other debts, and the woman cannot be consecrated through it.
Although the entrusted object or borrowed article was located in the woman's property at the time of the kiddushin, since she was not the legal owner, she is considered to have received sufficient benefit to make the kiddushin effective.
26.
Speaking on her behalf is considered equivalent to working for her. Hence, an equation is established between this law and the following halachah.
27.I.e., it is not as if the man's entire wage becomes due at the time he completes his work. Instead, for each moment of work, he earns a corresponding amount of his wages. This money is considered as a loan which is not due until the end of his employment. Thus he is in fact consecrating the women with a loan.
28.Kiddushin 7a compares this situation to that of a guarantor who becomes liable to pay a loan if the borrower cannot. In both instances, the benefit received by another person causes the person who made the commitment (the guarantor or the woman) to incur an obligation.
The Maggid Mishneh (4:4) and others compare this law to Chapter 4, Halachah 4, but explain that there is a difference between the two cases. In Chapter 4, the man does not respond to the woman's suggestion, while in this halachah, he makes a clear statement acknowledging the woman's offer of kiddushin. The Ramah (Even HaEzer 29:2) puts the emphasis on the fact that in this halachah, the woman initially made this suggestion, even before the man proposed the kiddushin. In the previous law, by contrast, her statement was made in response to his proposal, and her facetious intent becomes clear.
29.Kiddushin 7a derives this law by making a twofold comparison: to a guarantor (as in the law explained in the first portion of the halachah) and to a Canaanite servant. To explain: The servant becomes free when other people give his master money for that purpose, even though he himself gives nothing at all. Similarly, the person receiving the present acquires the woman as a wife even though he did not give anything for that purpose himself. Although there is a difference between the two - because the servant's owner receives money for the sake of freeing him and the woman does not receive any money herself - the comparison to a guarantor resolves that difficulty, as explained above.
30.Kiddushin, ibid., derives this law from a comparison to a Canaanite servant, as explained above.
31.The Shulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer 27:9) states that clarification is necessary to determine what is meant by "an important person." Because of the doubt involved, it is proper to require a divorce if the woman desires to become consecrated to another man (Chelkat Mechokek 27:21).
32.Thus, it is as if she has received nothing. Therefore, she is not consecrated.
33.The Ramah (Even HaEzer 28:12) quotes the Tur as stating that this law applies only when the security was taken at the time the loan was given. Otherwise, the kiddushin are not binding.
34.From the Rambam's wording, it appears that there is no reason to say that the woman has been consecrated. Rabbenu Asher and others maintain that according to Scriptural law, the consecration is valid, for a present of this nature is considered to be a valid transaction. It is merely that the Rabbis nullified these kiddushin lest they resemble chalifin (barter).
The difference between these two approaches is that the Rambam puts the emphasis on the benefit the woman receives (or does not receive). Hence in this situation, since the woman did not receive any benefit, the kiddushin are not binding. Rabbenu Asher, by contrast, puts the emphasis on whether or not the man performed a valid act of transfer. Since he did, the kiddushin would be binding, were it not for our Sages' decree (Or Sameach).
35.I.e., at the time the money was given, she was not aware of it, and afterwards to be consecrated she must explicitly express her consent. Rabbenu Yitzchak Alfasi differs and maintains that in such an instance there is a doubt whether or not the kiddushin are binding, and the more stringent ruling must be followed in every instance. His view is accepted by the Shulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer 28:5).
36.As stated in Chapter 4, Halachah 19 above.
37.In the Kessef Mishneh, Rav Yosef Karo raises a question on this ruling, noting that Kiddushin 46a interprets this law as following the reasoning of Rabbi Shimon. In similar instances (see Hilchot Sh'vuot 7:10 and Hilchot Nedarim 4:11), the Rambam rejects Rabbi Shimon's reasoning.
In his gloss on Hilchot Nedarim, the Kessef Mishneh resolves that issue, explaining that we find that there is a mishnah in the tractate of Kiddushin (stated without mentioning the name of the author) that follows Rabbi Shimon's view, and a mishnah in the tractate of Nedarim that follows the opposing view. One of the principles of Talmudic law is that a mishnah is taught without mentioning its author to show that it is accepted by the majority of the Sages. Accordingly, one may presume that since the Rambam saw that the redactor of the Mishnah chose to follow Rabbi Shimon's reasoning in one instance and to differ with it in another, the Rambam followed suit.
38.
Since the water is of little value, it is considered to have no independent importance. Hence, its value is considered together with that of the cup. The wine is not of negligible value, but - in the Talmudic era - it was worth less than the cup containing it. Hence, the wine is given independent importance and is not considered together with the cup. The oil - in the Talmudic era - was considered to be very valuable, more valuable than the cup containing it. Moreover, oil is not necessarily all used at one time. Therefore, it is apparent that the cup is subservient to the oil, and it is the value of the oil that is the determining factor.
Ishut - Chapter Six
1
[The following rules apply when a man] consecrates [a woman] based on a conditional agreement: If the condition is met, the kiddushin are binding. If not, they are of no consequence. This applies regardless of whether the condition was stipulated by the man or by the woman.
Every [valid] conditional agreement whatsoever - whether with regard to kiddushin, divorce, commercial transactions or other questions of business law - must conform to the following four rules.1
א
המקדש על תנאי אם נתקיים התנאי מקודשת ואם לאו אינה מקודשת בין שיהיה התנאי מן האיש בין שיהיה מן האשה. וכל תנאי שבעולם בין בקידושין בין בגירושין בין במקח בין בממכר בין בשאר דיני ממון צריך להיות בתנאי ארבעה דברים:
2
These are the four rules governing all conditional agreements:2
a) the stipulation must be twofold [with both a positive and negative statement];
b) the positive aspect must be stated before the negative aspect;
c) the stipulation should be mentioned before the completion of the deed that one desires to make conditional;3
d) the stipulation must be something that is possible to comply with.
If one of these rules was not kept when a conditional agreement was made, the stipulation is nullified; it is as if there is no condition at all. Thus, [the woman] is either consecrated or divorced immediately, and the commercial agreement is completed as if no condition had ever been made, for one of the four rules of conditional agreements was not met.
ב
ואלו הן הד' דברים של כל תנאי. שיהיה כפול. ושיהיה הן שלו קודם ללאו. ושיהיה התנאי קודם למעשה. ושיהיה התנאי דבר שאפשר לקיימו. ואם חסר התנאי אחד מהן הרי התנאי בטל וכאילו אין שם תנאי כלל אלא תהיה זו מקודשת או מגורשת מיד ויתקיים המקח או המתנה מיד וכאילו לא התנה כלל הואיל וחסר התנאי אחד מן הד':
3
What is implied? [When a man] tells a woman: "If you give me 200 zuz, you are consecrated to me with this dinar. And if you do not give me [that sum], you are not consecrated," and after making this stipulation gives her the dinar, the condition is valid, and the kiddushin are subject to its terms. If she gives him 200 zuz, she is consecrated. If she does not give him, she is not consecrated.
ג
כיצד האומר לאשה אם תתני לי מאתים זוז הרי את מקודשת לי בדינר זה ואם לא תתני לי לא תהיה מקודשת ואחר שהתנה תנאי זה נתן לה הדינר. הרי התנאי קיים והרי זו מקודשת על תנאי. ואם נתנה לו מאתים זוז תהיה מקודשת ואם לא נתנה לו אינה מקודשת:
4
If, however, [the man] told [the woman]: "Behold, you are consecrated to me with this dinar," gave her the dinar in her hand and then made a stipulation, saying: "If you give me 200 zuz you are consecrated," and if you do not give me [that sum] you are not consecrated," the stipulation is of no consequence, because he performed the deed first by giving it to her, and then making the stipulation.
[The above applies] even if everything occurred within a brief span of time;4 she is consecrated immediately and does not have to give [her husband] anything at all.
ד
אבל אם אמר לה הרי את מקודשת לי בדינר זה ונתן הדינר בידה והשלים התנאי ואמר אם תתני לי מאתים זוז תהיי מקודשת ואם לא תתני לי לא תהיי מקודשת הרי התנאי בטל מפני שהקדים המעשה ונתן בידה ואח"כ התנה. ואע"פ שהכל בתוך כדי דיבור הרי זו מקודשת מיד ואינה צריכה ליתן לו כלום:
5
Similarly, when [a man] tells [a woman]: "If you give me 200 zuz you are consecrated to me with this dinar," and then places the dinar in her hand, the stipulation is of no consequence, because the condition was not stated in a twofold manner. He did not tell her: "If you do not give me, you will not be consecrated." [Therefore] she is consecrated immediately without having to give him anything.
ה
וכן אם אמר לה אם תתני לי מאתים זוז הרי את מקודשת לי בדינר זה ואח"כ נתן הדינר בידה הרי התנאי בטל מפני שלא כפל תנאו. שהרי לא אמר לה ואם לא תתני לא תהיי מקודשת והרי זו מקודשת מיד ואינה צריכה ליתן לו כלום:
6
Similarly, when [a man] tells [a woman]: "If you do not give me 200 zuz, you will not be consecrated to me. But if you give me 200 zuz, you are consecrated to me with this dinar," and then places the dinar in her hand, the stipulation is of no consequence, because the negative dimension of the stipulation was stated before the positive one. [Therefore,] she is consecrated immediately without having to give him anything.
ו
וכן אם אמר לה אם לא תתני לי מאתים זוז לא תהיי מקודשת לי ואם תתני לי מאתים זוז הרי את מקודשת לי בדינר זה ואח"כ נתן הדינר בידה הרי התנאי בטל לפי שהקדים לאו להן והרי זו מקודשת מיד ואינה צריכה ליתן לו כלום:
7
Similarly, when [a man] tells [a woman]: "If you ascend to the heavens or descend to the depths, you are consecrated to me with this dinar. But if you do not ascend to the heavens or descend to the depths, you are not consecrated." If he places the dinar in her hand afterwards, the stipulation is of no consequence, and the kiddushin are effective immediately. For it is well known that she cannot keep this stipulation; he is merely speaking facetiously in a jesting and teasing manner.
ז
וכן אם אמר לה אם תעלי לרקיע או תרדי לתהום הרי את מקודשת לי בדינר זה ואם לא תעלי לרקיע ולא תרדי לתהום לא תהיי מקודשת ואח"כ נתן הדינר בידה הרי התנאי בטל והרי היא מקודשת מיד שהדבר ידוע שא"א לה לקיים תנאי זה ואין זה אלא כמפליגה בדברים דרך שחוק והיתול:
8
[The following rules apply when a man] makes a condition with regard to a deed that is possible to be performed, but that is forbidden by the Torah - e.g., he told a woman: "If you eat fat or blood, you are consecrated to me with this dinar. But if you do not eat fat or blood, you are not consecrated," or [a man tells his wife]: "If you eat the meat of pigs, this is your get. But if you do not eat it, the get is not effective." If, after making this stipulation, he placed the dinar or the get in her hand, the stipulation is valid. If the woman transgresses and eats [the forbidden article as stipulated], she will be either consecrated or divorced [accordingly]. It is not with regard to such a situation that it is said, "the person made a stipulation that contradicts what is written in the Torah." For the woman has the option not to eat and not to be consecrated or divorced.
ח
הרי שהתנה בדבר שאפשר לעשותו אלא שהתורה אסרה אותו כגון שאמר לאשה אם תאכלי חלב ודם הרי את מקודשת לי בדינר זה ואם לא תאכלי לא תהיי מקודשת. אם תאכלי בשר חזיר הרי זה גיטיך ואם לא תאכלי לא יהא גט. ואחר שהתנה נתן הדינר או הגט בידה הרי התנאי קיים. ואם עברה ואכלה תהיה מקודשת או מגורשת. ואם לא אכלה אינה מקודשת ואינה מגורשת. ואין אומרים בזה הרי התנה על מה שכתוב בתורה שהרי בידה שלא תאכל ושלא תתקדש ולא תתגרש:
9
With regard [to which situations] did in fact our Sages say:5 "Whenever a person makes a stipulation that contradicts what is written in the Torah, his stipulation is nullified, except with regard to financial matters, in which instances his stipulation is binding"?6
When a person consecrates, divorces, gives or sells, dependent on a stipulation through which he wants to acquire a right that the Torah did not grant him, but rather prevented him from obtaining, or to use this stipulation to free himself from an obligation for which the Torah made him liable. In such an instance, he is told, "Your stipulation is of no consequence. The deed you have performed is binding. You are not freed from any responsibility for which the Torah obligates you, nor can you acquire any privilege that the Torah does not grant you."
ט
ובמה אמרו חכמים כל המתנה על מה שכתוב בתורה תנאו בטל חוץ מדבר שבממון שתנאו קיים. כגון שקידש או גירש או נתן או מכר על תנאי שהוא רוצה בתנאו שיזכה עצמו בדבר שלא זיכתה לו תורה ומנעה ממנו או יפטור עצמו בתנאו מדבר שחייבה אותו בו התורה שאומרין לו תנאך בטל וכבר נתקיימו מעשיך ואין אתה נפטר מדבר שחייבה אותך בו התורה ולא תזכה בדבר שמנעה אותך ממנו:
10
What is implied? For example, when a man consecrates a woman on condition that he is not obligated to provide her with her provisions or garments, nor grant her conjugal rights, he is told: "With regard to provisions and garments, your stipulation is binding, for these are financial obligations. With regard to conjugal rights, however, your condition is not binding,7 for the Torah has obligated you to grant these [to a woman]. Therefore, she is consecrated and you are obligated to grant her conjugal rights. You do not have the potential to free yourself of this responsibility with this stipulation." The same applies in all similar situations.
Similarly, if a man consecrates a woman whom he took as a captive for sexual relations on condition that he may have her perform servile tasks,8 she is consecrated and he is forbidden to have her perform these tasks, for after he had relations with her this was prohibited by the Torah. His stipulation does not empower him to a privilege that the Torah held back from him. The same applies in all similar situations.
י
כיצד כגון שקידש אשה על תנאי שאין לה עליו שאר כסות ועונה. שאומרין לו בכסות ושאר שהוא תנאי שבממון תנאך קיים אבל בעונה תנאך בטל שהתורה חייבה אותך בעונה והרי זו מקודשת ואתה חייב בעונתה ואין בידך לפטור עצמך בתנאך וכן כל כיוצא בזה. וכן המקדש יפת תואר על תנאי שיתעמר בה הרי זו מקודשת ואין לו להתעמר בה שהרי התורה מנעה אותו מלהשתעבד בה אחר שנבעלה. ולא מפני תנאו יזכה בדבר שמנעה אותו תורה אלא תנאו בטל וכן כל כיוצא בזה:
11
If a man established a condition with a woman at the time of kiddushin or divorce requiring her to engage in sexual relations with her father, her brother, her son or the like, it is as if he made a stipulation that she ascend to the heavens or descend to the depths, and his condition is of no consequence. For it is not within the woman's capacity to cause others to transgress and to engage in a forbidden sexual relationship. Thus, he has made a stipulation that she is incapable of fulfilling. The same applies with regard to all similar instances.
יא
התנה על האשה בשעת קידושין או בשעת גירושין שתבעל לאביה ולאחיה או לבנה וכיוצא בזה הרי זה כמי שהתנה עליה שתעלה לרקיע או שתרד לתהום ותנאו בטל שאין בידה שיעברו אחרים ויבאו על הערוה ונמצא שהתנה עמה בדבר שאינו בידה לקיימו וכן כל כיוצא בזה:
12
If, however, the man made a stipulation that she [influence] so and so to "give me his courtyard or to have his daughter marry my son," the stipulation is binding. For it is in her capacity to fulfill it, she can give so and so a large amount of money so that he will [consent to] give the man [making the condition] his courtyard or have his daughter marry that man's son. For in this instance, there is no sin involved. The same applies with regard to all similar instances.
יב
אבל אם התנה עליה שיתן לי פלוני חצירו או שישיא בתו לבני וכיוצא בזה תנאו קיים שהרי אפשר בידה לקיימו ותתן לפלוני ממון רב עד שיתן לו חצירו ועד שישיא בתו לבנו שהרי אין כאן עבירה וכן כל כיוצא בזה:
13
Have in mind at all times all these guidelines that have been mentioned with regard to conditional agreements. Whenever you hear the expression "A man consecrated [a woman] on the basis of these and these conditions," "gave a divorce on the basis of these and these conditions," or made a sale or gave a present conditionally, you will know that the condition must fit the four rules mentioned. Thus, it will not be necessary to repeat them on every occasion. If one of these rules is not kept, the stipulation is of no consequence.
יג
שים כל אלו הדברים של תנאים לנגד עיניך תמיד. וכל מקום שאתה שומע המקדש על תנאי כך וכך או הנותן גט על תנאי כך וכך או המוכר או הנותן על תנאי תדע שהתנאי יש בו ד' דברים אלו שביארנו כדי שלא נהיה צריכין לפרש אותן בכל מקום. ואם חסר אחד מהן אין כאן תנאי:
14
Some of the later geonim9 maintain that a person is required to make a conditional statement twofold only with regard to kiddushin and divorce. With regard to financial matters, by contrast, a twofold statement need not be made.
It is not proper to rely on this ruling, for our Sages derived the need to make a twofold statement of the condition, and the other four rules, from the condition made [with] the members [of the tribes] of Gad and Reuven, as [Numbers 38:29-30] states: "If the members [of the tribes] of Gad... cross over. But if they do not cross over...." And this condition involved neither kiddushin nor divorce. [My ruling echoes] the decisions of the great geonim of the previous eras, and it is fitting to follow it.10
יד
יש מקצת גאונים אחרונים שאמרו שאין צריך אדם לכפול תנאו אלא בגיטין וקידושין בלבד אבל בדיני ממון אינו צריך לכפול. ואין ראוי לסמוך על דבר זה שכפילת התנאי עם שאר הארבעה דברים מתנאי בני גד ובני ראובן למדו אותן חכמים אם יעברו בני גד וגו' ואם לא יעברו ותנאי זה לא היה לא בגיטין ולא בקידושין. וכזה הורו גדולי הגאונים הראשונים וכן ראוי לעשות:
15
When a man consecrates a woman conditionally, the kiddushin become effective at the time the stipulation is fulfilled, and not at the time of the [original] kiddushin.
What is implied? [For example, a man] tells a woman: "If I give you 200 zuz this year, you are consecrated to me with this dinar. But if I do not give you, you are not consecrated." If he [made these statements and] gave her the dinar in Nisan, but gave her the 200 zuz that he stipulated only in Elul, it is in Elul that the consecration takes effect. Therefore, if another person consecrates her before the first completes carrying out his stipulation, she is consecrated to the second.
Similar laws apply with regard to divorce and monetary law. When the stipulation is fulfilled, the divorce is effective or the sale or gift is completed.11
טו
המקדש על תנאי כשיתקיים התנאי תהיה מקודשת משעה שנתקיים התנאי לא משעה שנתקדשה. כיצד האומר לאשה אם אתן ליך מאתים זוז בשנה זו הרי את מקודשת לי בדינר זה ואם לא אתן ליך לא תהיי מקודשת ונתן הדינר לידה בניסן ונתן לה המאתים זוז שהתנה עמה באלול הרי זו מקודשת מאלול. לפיכך אם קדשה אחר קודם שיתקיים התנאי של ראשון הרי זו מקודשת לשני. וכן הדין בגיטין ובממונות בשעה שיתקיים התנאי הוא שיהיה גט או יתקיים המקח או המתנה:
16
When does the above apply? When a stipulation was made, and [the person making it did not state that the agreement took effect] from this time onward. If, however, [a man] told [a woman]: "Behold, you are consecrated to me from this time onward with this dinar if I give you 200 zuz,"12 when at a later date he gives her the 200 zuz she is consecrated. Retroactively, the kiddushin are considered to have taken effect at the time they were given, despite the fact that the stipulation was not fulfilled until after much time had passed. Therefore, if a second person consecrates her before the stipulation has been fulfilled, she is not consecrated to that [second] person. Similar laws apply with regard to divorce and monetary law.
טז
בד"א בשהיה שם תנאי ולא אמר מעכשיו. אבל אם אמר לה הרי את מקודשת לי מעכשיו בדינר זה אם אתן ליך מאתים זוז ולאחר זמן נתן לה מאתים זוז הרי זו מקודשת למפרע משעת הקידושין אע"פ שלא נעשה תנאו אלא לאחר זמן מרובה. לפיכך אם קידשה השני קודם שיעשה התנאי אינה מקודשת. וכן הדין בגיטין ובממון:
17
Whenever a person makes a stipulation and states [that it is effective] "from this time onward," it is not necessary for him to make a twofold statement of the stipulation,13 nor is it necessary to state the stipulation before performing the deed involved.14 Even when he performs the deed first, his stipulation is effective. He must, however, make a stipulation that is possible to fulfill. A person who makes a stipulation that is impossible to fulfill is merely speaking facetiously; there is no [intent to make] a [binding] stipulation.
When a person appends a stipulation to an agreement using the wording al menat ("on condition that"), the rules that apply when the person states "from this time onward" also apply.15 It is not necessary for him to make a twofold statement of the stipulation, nor is it necessary to state the stipulation before performing the deed involved.
יז
כל האומר מעכשיו לא יצטרך לכפול תנאו ולא להקדים התנאי על המעשה אלא אף על פי שהקדים המעשה תנאו קיים. אבל צריך להתנות בדבר שאפשר לקיימו. ואם התנה בדבר שא"א לקיימו הרי זה כמפליג בדברים ואין שם תנאי. וכל האומר על מנת כאומר מעכשיו ואינו צריך לכפול התנאי ולא להקדימו למעשה:
18
What is implied? When [a man] tells a woman: "Behold, you are consecrated to me on condition that you give me 200 zuz," "here is your get on condition that you give me 200 zuz," or "this courtyard is given to you as a present on condition that you give me 200 zuz," the stipulation is binding. She is consecrated or divorced, or she acquires the field, but she must give the 200 zuz. If she does not give [the money], she will not be consecrated or divorced, nor will she acquire the field.
[The above applies] even when the man did not make a twofold condition, and even though he performed the deed before stating the condition - i.e., he placed the kiddushin or the get in her hand or let her take possession of the courtyard, and then completed [the statement of] his stipulation. [The rationale for these leniencies is that] when the stipulation is fulfilled, she retroactively either acquires the field or is consecrated or divorced from the time the deed was performed, as if a stipulation had never been made at all.16
יח
כיצד האומר לאשה הרי את מקודשת לי על מנת שתתני לי מאתים זוז. הרי זה גיטיך על מנת שתתני לי מאתים זוז. הרי חצר זו נתונה ליך במתנה על מנת שתתני לי מאתים זוז הרי תנאו קיים ונתקדשה או נתגרשה וזכתה זו בחצר והם יתנו המאתים זוז. ואם לא נתנו לא תהיה זו מקודשת ולא מגורשת ולא תזכה זו בחצר. ואע"פ שלא כפל תנאו ואע"פ שהקדים המעשה לתנאי ונתן הקידושין או הגט בידה והחזיקה זו בחצר ואח"כ השלים תנאו. שהרי כשיתקיים התנאי תזכה זו בחצר ותתקדש זו ותתגרש משעה ראשונה שבה נעשה המעשה כאילו לא היה שם תנאי כלל:
FOOTNOTES
1.See Halachah 14 and notes.
2.We find a conditional agreement in the Torah: Moses' granting the lands of Transjordan to the tribes of Reuven and Gad (Numbers 32:29-30). All these four rules were evident in Moses' phrasing of the stipulation. Accordingly, our Sages (Kiddushin 61a) consider this a prototype for all future conditional agreements.
3.This is the Rambam's interpretation of the requirement that in its Hebrew original states: שיהיה התנאי קודם למעשה. The Ra'avad (in his gloss on Halachah 4) interprets the phrase differently. He states that in the wording of the person making the stipulation, the stipulation must be stated before the result of its completion: e.g., "If you give me 200 zuz, you will be consecrated..., and if you do not give me that sum, you will not be consecrated." The Beit Shmuel 38:2 accepts the Ra'avad's interpretation and not that of the Rambam.
4.We have chosen a very loose translation. The Hebrew toch kedei dibbur has a precise connotation, meaning the amount of time it takes to say the words Shalom alecha rabbi umori.
5.Kiddushin 19b.
6.An exception is made with regard to financial matters, because with regard to these matters the Torah grants the person the right to waive monetary privileges that are due him. Privileges that are not monetary in nature may not be waived.
7.Based on the Jerusalem Talmud (Bava Metzia, the conclusion of Chapter 7), the Ritba (Kiddushin 19a) and the Mordechai (gloss on Bava Metzia 93a) maintain that even conjugal rights can be considered to be a financial consideration, for it is a matter of physical pleasure. Nevertheless, this opinion is not accepted as halachah. Instead, withholding conjugal relations is considered a matter of physical anguish. Hence a woman does not have the prerogative of waiving this right.
8.Deuteronomy 21:11-14 describes the right of a soldier to have relations with a female captive of war whom he desires. Once he has relations with her, he may no longer treat her as a servant.
9.The commentaries have pointed to Rabbenu Yitzchak Alfasi and Rabbenu Shmuel ben Chofni HaCohen.
10.The Ra'avad, the Ramban and the Rashba differ with the Rambam's reasoning. According to the position of these authorities, it is only one Sage, Rabbi Meir, who maintains that the rules regarding conditional agreements were derived from the agreement made between Moses and the tribes of Reuven and Gad. They maintain that the need to repeat the condition applies only with regard to kiddushin, and was instituted only because of the severity of the establishment and annulment of the marriage relationship. With regard to other matters, however, there is no such requirement. The Tur and the Shulchan Aruch (Choshen Mishpat 241:9) follow the Rambam's view.
11.The above applies when the agreement is made verbally. If, however, a conditional sale or a present is recorded in a legal document, it is considered to be effective retroactively from the date stated in the document, although the stipulation is not carried out until much later.
Others maintain that the same principle applies with regard to a get, and if a date is included in a conditional bill of divorce, the divorce is retroactively effective from the date of the get, even though the stipulation is carried out much later. As stated in Hilchot Gerushin 8:1, the Rambam does not follow this approach. (See Shulchan Aruch, Even HaEzer 143:2.)
12.In such an instance, the stipulation need not be restated, as mentioned in the following halachah.
13.Since the condition does not have to be restated, there is also no need for the positive statement to precede the negative.
14.This follows the Rambam's interpretation of the Talmud's wording שיהיה התנאי קודם למעשה, as explained in Halachah 2.
15.Tosafot and many subsequent Ashkenazic authorities do not accept this ruling. The difference of opinion is noted by the Shulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer 144:4).
16.Among the other rationales offered are that the rules for a conditional agreement are derived from the agreement between Moses and the tribes of Gad and Reuven, and in that instance that condition was phrased using the term "if," rather than "from this time onward" or "on condition that" (Rabbenu Yitzchak Alfasi). The Ra'avad explains that stating a stipulation using the wording "if" nullifies the act the person performs. For a stipulation to have this power, it must be worded precisely. If, however, the wording "on condition that" or "from now onward" is used, the implication is that the act is not nullified, but is merely dependent on the fulfillment of the condition. Since the stipulation is not that powerful, its wording need not be as precise.
Ishut - Chapter Seven
1
[The following rules apply when a man] tells a woman: "Behold, you are consecrated to me on condition that my father will consent." If his father consents, she is consecrated.1 If he does not consent, if he remained silent, or if he died before he heard of the matter, she is not consecrated.2
[If the man tells her: "Behold, you are consecrated to me] on condition that my father does not object." If he hears and objects, she is not consecrated. If he does not object or he dies, she is consecrated. If the son dies, and the father hears afterwards, we instruct the father to say: "I do not consent," so the kiddushin will not be effective, and the woman will not be obligated to undergo the rites of yibbum.3
א
האומר לאשה הרי את מקודשת לי ע"מ שירצה אבי רצה האב מקודשת לא רצה או ששתק או שמת קודם שישמע הדבר אינה מקודשת. על מנת שלא ימחה אבי שמע ומיחה אינה מקודשת. לא מיחה או שמת הרי זו מקודשת. מת הבן ואחר כך שמע האב מלמדין האב שיאמר איני רוצה כדי שלא יהו קידושין ולא תפול לפני יבם:
2
[The following rules apply when a man] tells a woman: "Behold, you are consecrated to me with this [item] on condition that I possess 200 zuz or land on which it is fit to grow a kor of grain."4 If there are witnesses who say that he possesses these entities, the kiddushin are binding. If there are no witnesses, [the kiddushin are not nullified entirely; instead,] their status is doubtful. Perhaps he possesses these entities and says he does not own them in order to cause the woman difficulties.5
ב
האומר לאשה הרי את מקודשת לי בזה על מנת שיש לי מאתים זוז או בית כור עפר אם יש שם עדים שיש לו הרי זו מקודשת. ואם אין לו הרי זו מקודשת מספק שמא יש לו והוא אומר אין לי כדי לקלקלה:
3
[The following rules apply when he tells her:] "Behold, you are consecrated to me with this [item] on condition that I possess 200 zuz or land on which it is fit to grow a kor of grain in a particular place." If he possesses these entities in that place, the kiddushin are binding. If he does not possess these entities in the place he specified, [the kiddushin are not nullified entirely; instead,] their status is doubtful. Perhaps he possesses these entities in that place [and says he does not own them] in order to cause the woman difficulties.6
ג
הרי את מקודשת לי בזה על מנת שיש לי מאתים זוז או בית כור עפר במקום פלוני. אם יש לו באותו מקום הרי זו מקודשת. ואם אין לו באותו מקום שאומר הרי זו מקודשת מספק שמא יש לו שם והוא מתכוין לקלקלה:
4
[The following rules apply when he tells her:] "Behold, you are consecrated to me with this [item] on condition that I show you 200 zuz or land on which it is fit to grow a kor of grain." When he shows her these entities, she is consecrated. If he shows her money that is possessed by someone else or land on which it is fit to grow a kor of grain in a field belonging to someone else, she is not consecrated; he [must] show her what belongs to him.
If he borrowed the money, rented a field or took it on a sharecropping arrangement and showed it to her, she is not consecrated; he [must] show her what belongs to him. For when he says "I will show you," that implies that "I will show you the entity I mentioned that belongs to me and is in my possession."
ד
הרי את מקודשת לי בזה על מנת שאראך מאתים זוז או בית כור עפר הרי זו מקודשת ויראנה. הראה הזוזים ביד אחרים או שהראה בית כור עפר בשדה אחרים אינה מקודשת עד שיראנה משלו. לקח המעות בהלואה או בשותפות או ששכר השדה או לקחה באריסות והראה אינה מקודשת עד שיראנה משלו. שמשמע שאראך שאראך משל עצמי דבר זה שאמרתי לך:
5
[The following rules apply when] the man owns land on which it is fit to grow a kor of grain, but it contains clefts ten handbreadths deep or rocks ten handbreadths high. If the clefts are filled with water, they are considered to be rocks and are not included in the total measure, because they are not fit to be sown.7 If they are not filled with water, they are included in the total measure, because they are fit to be sown.
ה
היה לו בית כור עפר והיה בו נקעים עמוקים עשרה טפחים או סלעים גבוהים עשרה טפחים. אם היו הנקעים מלאים מים הרי הן כסלעים ואין נמדדין עמו מפני שאינן ראויין לזריעה ואם אינן מלאין מים נמדדין עמו מפני שהן ראויין לזריעה:
6
[The following rules apply when a man] tells a woman: "Behold, you are consecrated to me with this [item] on condition that you are not bound by vows." The kiddushin are not binding if she is bound by any of the following three vows: that she may not eat meat, that she may not drink wine, or that she may not wear colored ornaments.8 If she is bound by any vow other than these, she is consecrated, even when [the husband] states: "I object even with regard to these."
If he told her, "[Behold, you are consecrated...] on condition that you are not bound by any vow," even if she has made a vow [as insignificant as] not to eat carobs, she is not consecrated.
ו
האומר לאשה הרי את מקודשת לי בזה על מנת שאין עליך נדרים ונמצא עליה אחד משלשה נדרים אלו שלא תאכל בשר או שלא תשתה יין או שלא תתקשט במיני צבעונין אינה מקודשת. נמצא עליה נדר חוץ מאלו אף ע"פ שהוא אומר מקפיד אני אפילו על זה הרי זו מקודשת. ואם אמר לה על מנת שאין עליך כל נדר אפילו נמצאת שנדרה שלא תאכל חרובין אינה מקודשת:
7
[The following rules apply when a man tells a woman:] "Behold, you are consecrated to me with this [item] on condition that you do not have any physical blemishes." If she has one of the physical blemishes that cause a woman to be deemed unfit [as a wife], she is not consecrated. If she has a physical blemish other than these, she is consecrated, even though he states, "I object even with regard to these."
What are the physical blemishes that cause a woman to be deemed unfit [as a wife]: All the physical blemishes that cause a priest to be deemed unfit [for service in the Temple] cause a woman to be deemed unfit. In Hilchot Bi'at HaMikdash, all the blemishes affecting the priests are explained.9 In addition, [there are other blemishes that cause] women [to be deemed unfit]. They include: foul body odor, [excessive] sweating, foul breath, deep voice, breasts of abnormal size, being more than a handbreadth larger than those of other women,10 a distance of more than a handbreadth between one breast and the other, a scar in the place where she was bit by a dog, and a birthmark on her forehead.
This includes even a birthmark that is very small, even if it is close to her hairline, and even if there are no hairs growing from it. This is the birthmark that is mentioned as a disqualifying factor for a woman and not for a priest. If, however, a birthmark has facial hair growing from it, or if it is as large as an isar11 even when no hair grows from it, it is a disqualifying blemish, both for priests and for women.
ז
הרי את מקודשת לי בזה על מנת שאין בך מומין ונמצא בה אחד מן המומין הפוסלין בנשים אינה מקודשת. נמצא בה מום אחר חוץ מאותן המומין אף ע"פ שאמר מקפיד אני אפילו על זה הרי זו מקודשת. ומה הן המומין הפוסלין בנשים כל המומין הפוסלין בכהנים פוסלין בנשים. ובהלכות ביאת מקדש יתבארו כל מומין של כהנים. ויותר עליהן בנשים. ריח רע. וזיעה. וריח הפה. וקול עבה. ודדין גסין מחברותיה טפח. וטפח בין דד לדד. ונשיכת כלב ונעשה המקום צלקת. ושומא שעל הפדחת. אפילו היתה קטנה ביותר ואפילו קרובה לשער ראשה ואף ע"פ שאין בה שיער. וזו היא השומא שיתרה אשה על הכהנים. אבל אם היתה שומא שיש בה שיער בשאר הפנים או שומא גדולה כאיסר אעפ"י שאין בה שיער הרי זה מום בין בכהנים בין בנשים:
8
When a man consecrates a woman without making any specific stipulations, and it is discovered that she has one of the physical blemishes that cause a woman to be deemed unfit, or [it is discovered that] she is bound by one of the three vows mentioned above, the status of the kiddushin is in doubt.12
If [a man] consecrates [a woman] on condition that she is not bound by vows, and she was bound by vows, but [afterwards,] she went to a wise man who nullified them for her,13 she is consecrated.
ח
המקדש אשה סתם ונמצא עליה אחד מן המומין הפוסלין בנשים או נמצא עליה אחד משלשה נדרים הרי זו מקודשת מספק. קידשה על מנת שאין עליה נדרים והיו עליה נדרים והלכה אצל חכם והתיר לה הרי זו מקודשת:
9
If [a man] consecrates [a woman] on condition that she does not have physical blemishes, and she does have blemishes, she is not consecrated, even if [afterwards,] she goes to a physician who heals these blemishes.14
When, by contrast, a man enters into a marriage contract on condition that he is not bound by any vows, and that he does not have any physical blemishes, although he is indeed bound by vows and has physical blemishes, if he goes to a wise man who nullifies the vows, and if he goes to a physician who heals the blemishes, the marriage is valid. [The rationale is that] there is no shame for a man to have had physical blemishes once they have been healed. A woman will not object because of such a thing.15
ט
קידשה על מנת שאין בה מומין והיו בה מומין והלכה אצל רופא וריפא אותה אינה מקודשת. אבל אם התנה האיש שאין עליו נדרים ושאין בו מומין והיו עליו נדרים והיו בו מומין והלך אצל חכם והתירו אצל רופא וריפאו הרי זו מקודשת שאין גנאי לאיש במומין שכבר נרפאו והאשה אינה מקפדת על זאת:
10
[The following rules apply when a man tells a woman:] "Behold, you are consecrated to me with this [item] on condition that I give you 200 zuz within 30 days." If he gives her [the money] within 30 days, she is consecrated. If 30 days pass without him giving it to her, she is not consecrated.
[If a man tells a woman,] "Behold, you are consecrated to me with these zuz after 30 days," she is consecrated after 30 days, even though she used the money within the 30 days. If either he or she change their minds [and decide to nullify the marriage] within these 30 days, she is not consecrated.
י
האומר לאשה הרי את מקודשת לי בזה על מנת שאתן ליך מאתים זוז מיכן ועד שלשים יום אם נתן לה בתוך שלשים יום מקודשת ואם עברו שלשים יום ולא נתן לה אינה מקודשת. הרי את מקודשת לי בזוזים אלו לאחר שלשים יום. אע"פ שנתאכלו המעות בתוך שלשים יום הרי זו מקודשת לאחר שלשים יום. ואם חזר בו בתוך השלשים או חזרה היא אינה מקודשת:
11
If another man comes and consecrates her within these 30 days, she is consecrated to the second man forever. [The rationale is] that at the time the second man consecrated her, she was not consecrated. Therefore, the second man's kiddushin are binding and make her a married woman. Thus, after the 30 days pass and the first man's kiddushin are fit to take effect, she is already a married woman. It is thus as if the first man consecrated a married woman, in which case the kiddushin are not binding.16
יא
בא שני וקידשה בתוך שלשים יום הרי זו מקודשת לשני לעולם. לפי שבשעה שקידשה השני לא היתה מקודשת ותפסו בה קידושי שני ונעשת אשת איש ולאחר השלשים יום כשיבואו קידושי ראשון ימצאו אותה אשת איש ונמצא הראשון כמי שקידש אשת איש שאין הקידושין תופסין בה:
12
[The following rules apply when a man] tells a woman: "Behold, you are consecrated to me with this dinar from this time onward, and after 30 days," and another person consecrates her within the 30 days. [There is doubt regarding the matter,17 and] both [men] are considered as having established kiddushin that may possibly be binding. Therefore, both are required to divorce her.18 The divorce may be given within the [original] 30 days19 or afterwards.
[Should one man tell a woman,] "Behold, you are consecrated to me from this time onward, and after 30 days"; and another man comes and tells her, "Behold, you are consecrated to me from this time onward, and after 20 days," and another man comes and tells her, "Behold, you are consecrated to me from this time onward, and after 10 days," [there is doubt regarding the matter, and] all [the men] are considered as having established kiddushin [that may possibly] be binding, and every one must divorce her. [Indeed, these rules apply] even when a hundred men consecrate her in this manner.
יב
האומר לאשה הרי את מקודשת לי מעכשיו ולאחר שלשים יום בדינר זה ובא אחר וקידשה בתוך השלשים יום הרי זו מקודשת מספק לשניהם. לפיכך שניהם נותנין גט בין בתוך השלשים יום בין לאחר השלשים יום. הרי את מקודשת לי מעכשיו ולאחר שלשים יום. ובא אחר ואמר הרי את מקודשת לי מעכשיו ולאחר עשרים יום. ובא אחר ואמר הרי את מקודשת לי מעכשיו ולאחר עשרה ימים. אפילו הן מאה על הסדר הזה קידושי כולן תופסין בה וצריכה גט מכל אחד ואחד מפני שהיא ספק מקודשת לכולן:
13
When [a man] tells a woman, "Behold, you are consecrated to me [and these kiddushin apply to everyone] with the exception of so and so" - i.e., that she should not be forbidden to have relations with him - with regard to everyone else she should be considered a married woman, but with regard to him she should be considered to be single - there is doubt regarding the status of the kiddushin.20
If, however, he tells her, "Behold, you are consecrated to me on condition that you are permitted to so and so," she is consecrated, and she is forbidden to that person as she is forbidden to all others. [The rationale is that] he has made a condition that is impossible to fulfill.21
יג
האומר לאשה הרי את מקודשת לי חוץ מפלוני כלומר שלא תיאסר עליו אלא תהיה אשת איש על כל העולם ולפלוני כפנויה הרי זו מקודשת מספק. אבל אם אמר לה הרי את מקודשת לי על מנת שתהיי מותרת לפלוני הרי זו מקודשת ותהיה אסורה עליו כשאר העם מפני שהתנה בדבר שא"א לקיימו:
14
When [a man] gives two p'rutot to a woman and tells her: "Behold, you are consecrated to me with one today, and with the other after I divorce you," she is consecrated. When he divorces her, she becomes consecrated to him again22 until he divorces her a second time, because of the kiddushin established by the second p'rutah.
If, however, [a man] tells a woman: "Behold, you are consecrated to me with this [item] after I convert," "...after you convert," "...after I become freed [from servitude],"23 "...after you become freed [from servitude]," "...after your husband dies," or "...after your sister dies,"24 she is not consecrated. [The rationale is] that he cannot consecrate her now.25
יד
הנותן שתי פרוטות לאשה ואמר לה הרי את מקודשת לי היום באחת ובאחת לאחר שאגרשך הרי זו מקודשת. וכשיגרש אותה תהיה תקודשת עד שיגרש אותה פעם שנייה מן קידושי פרוטה שנייה. אבל אם אמר לאשה הרי את מקודשת לי בזה לאחר שאתגייר. לאחר שתתגיירי. לאחר שאשתחרר. לאחר שתשתחררי לאחר שימות בעליך. לאחר שתמות אחותיך אינה מקודשת לפי שאינו יכול עתה לקדשה:
15
When [a man] tells a yevamah: "Behold, you are consecrated to me with this [item] after your yavam performs chalitzah for you,"26 she is consecrated. [The rationale is] that even if he consecrated her at present, the kiddushin would be [at least] of a doubtful status.27
טו
האומר ליבמה הרי את מקודשת לי בזה לאחר שיחלוץ ליך יבמיך הרי זו מקודשת הואיל ואילו קידשה עתה היו קידושין תופסין בה מספק:
16
When a man tells a friend, "If your wife gives birth to a girl, [the girl] is consecrated to me with this [item]," his statements are of no consequence.28 If the friend's wife is pregnant, and the existence of a fetus has been recognized, [the girl] is consecrated.29 [Nevertheless,] it appears to me that [the man] must consecrate [his bride] again via her father after she is born, so that she will enter a marriage bond about which there are no questions.
טז
האומר לחבירו אם ילדה אשתך נקבה הרי היא מקודשת לי בזה לא אמר כלום. ואם היתה אשת חבירו מעוברת והוכר העובר הרי זו מקודשת. ויראה לי שצריך לחזור ולקדש אותה אחר שתלד ע"י אביה כדי שיכניס אותה בקידושין שאין בהן דופי:
17
When [a man] tells a woman: "Behold, you are consecrated to me with 100 dinarim," and gives her at least one dinar, she is consecrated, provided he gives her the entire sum. It is as if he told her, "Behold, you are consecrated to me with this dinar on condition that I give you 100 dinarim." [In such an instance,] the kiddushin take effect from [the time he gave her the first dinar].
When does the above apply? When he told her "with 100 dinarim" without specifying [any particular dinarim]. If, however, he is more explicit and tells her, "Behold, you are consecrated to me with these 100 dinarim," and begins counting them out into her hand, she is not consecrated until he gives her [all 100].30 Either of them may retract their consent until the very last dinar is given.
Similarly, if one of the dinarim was found lacking the standard weight, or one was a dinar of brass, she is not consecrated.31 [The following rules apply when] one of the dinarim was inferior: If it would be accepted with difficulty, [the kiddushin are valid, provided]32 he exchanges it. If it would not [be accepted], the kiddushin are of no consequence.
יז
האומר לאשה הרי את מקודשת לי במאה דינרין ונתן לה אפילו דינר אחד הרי זו מקודשת משלקחה הדינר והוא שישלים לה השאר. שזה כמי שאמר הרי את מקודשת לי בדינר זה על מנת שאשלים ליך מאה דינרים שהיא מקודשת לו מעכשיו. בד"א כשאמר לה במאה דינרים סתם אבל אם פירש ואמר לה הרי את מקודשת לי במאה דינרין אלו והתחיל למנות לתוך ידה אינה מקודשת עד שישלים [לה מאה] ואפילו בדינר האחרון שניהם יכולים לחזור זה בזה. וכן אם נמצא מנה חסר דינר או נמצא מהן דינר נחשת אינה מקודשת. נמצא בהם דינר רע אם יכולה להוציאו על ידי הדחק יחליפנו ואם לאו אינה מקודשת:
18
[The following rules apply when a man] tells [a woman]: "Behold, you are consecrated to me with these clothes that are worth 50 dinarim." When they are silk or of similar fabrics that a woman would desire,33 and they are worth 50 [dinarim], the woman is consecrated from the time she took them onward. There is no need that they be evaluated in the market, and only afterwards, when the woman is assured [of their value], will she be consecrated. Instead, since they are worth the amount he states, she is consecrated from the time of the initial [exchange]. If they are not worth [that amount], she is not consecrated.
יח
אמר לה הרי את מקודשת לי בבגדים אלו שהן שוין חמשים דינרים והיו של משי וכיוצא בהן שהאשה מתאווה להן אם היו שוין חמשים הרי זו מקודשת משעת לקיחה. ואינן צריכין שומא בשוק ואחר כך תהיה מקודשת כדי שתסמוך דעתה אלא הואיל והן שוין כמו שאמר לה הרי זו מקודשת משעה ראשונה. ואם אינן שוין אינה מקודשת:
19
A man and a woman were discussing the subject of their consecration, he saying: "I will consecrate you with 100 dinarim," and she saying: "I will not be consecrated for less than 200 [dinarim]." [Since they did not agree,] they both went home.
[The following rules apply when] afterwards, [either the man or the woman requested the other [to reconsider], and the man consecrated her without specifying a sum. If the man made the request of the woman, the sum [originally] quoted by the woman is accepted. If the woman made the request of the man, the sum [originally] quoted by the man is accepted.
יט
איש ואשה שהיו עסוקין בדברי אירוסין הוא אומר במאה דינרים אקדש אותך והיא אומרת איני מתקדשת לך אלא במאתים והלך זה לביתו וזו לביתה ואחר כך תבעו זה את זה וקדשו סתם. אם האיש תבע את האשה יעשו דברי האשה ואם האשה תבעה את האיש יעשו דברי האיש:
20
When a man appoints an agent to consecrate a woman, and the agent consecrates her on the basis of a conditional agreement, the kiddushin are not valid.34 Similarly, if [the principal] instructed the agent to consecrate the woman on the basis of a conditional agreement, and he consecrated her without making any stipulation whatsoever, or made another stipulation or changed the stipulation stated by the principal, the kiddushin are not valid.
כ
העושה שליח לקדש לו אשה והלך השליח וקדשה על תנאי אינה מקודשת. וכן אם אמר לו לקדשה על תנאי והלך וקדשה סתם או על תנאי אחר או ששינה את התנאי אינה מקודשת:
21
When [the principal] tells the agent: "Consecrate her in this and this place," and the agent consecrated her in another place, the kiddushin are not valid.35 [If the principal tells the agent:] "Consecrate her for me. She is in this and this place," and the agent goes and consecrates her in another place, she is consecrated; he is merely suggesting to him the place [where she might be found].
Similarly, if [the woman] tells her agent, "Receive kiddushin for me in this and this place," and the agent received them for her in another place, the kiddushin are not valid. [If she told her agent: "Receive kiddushin for me. My prospective] husband is in this and this place," and [the agent] receives the kiddushin in another place, she is consecrated; she is merely suggesting to him the place [where he might be found].
כא
אמר לו קדשה לי במקום פלוני והלך וקידשה במקום אחר אינה מקודשת. קדשה לי והרי היא במקום פלוני והלך וקידשה במקום אחר הרי זו מקודשת מפני שמראה מקום הוא לו. וכן היא שאמרה לשלוחה קבל לי קידושי במקום פלוני וקבלם לה במקום אחר אינה מקודשת. הרי הבעל במקום פלוני וקבל לה במקום אחר הרי זו מקודשת מפני שמראה מקום היא לו:
22
When [a man] consecrates a woman, but he or she desires to retract immediately - even if the retraction is made within a very short amount of time36 - the retraction is of no consequence and the woman is consecrated.37
כב
המקדש את האשה וחזרו בו מיד הוא או היא אף ע"פ שחזרו בתוך כדי דיבור אין חזרתה כלום והרי היא מקודשת:
23
When [a man] consecrates [a woman] and attaches a condition [to the kiddushin], and after several days changes his mind and nullifies the condition, the condition is of no consequence and it is as if the woman had been consecrated without any condition ever having been made. [This law applies] even when he nullifies the condition in the presence of his intended bride alone, without this being observed by witnesses. Similarly, if the woman was the one who attached a condition to the kiddushin, and afterwards nullified it in the presence of her prospective husband alone, the condition is of no consequence.38
Therefore, if [a man] consecrated [a woman] and attached a condition [to the kiddushin], and afterwards, brought her [to the chuppah] without mentioning the condition, or engaged in sexual relations with her without mentioning the condition, she must receive a divorce [before she marries another man]39 even though the condition was never fulfilled. [The rationale is that] perhaps [the man] nullified the condition when he brought her [to the chuppah] or when he engaged in sexual relations with her.
Similarly, when [a man] consecrates a woman with [an article] worth less than a p'rutah or with a loan, and then engages in sexual relations [with this woman] in the presence of witnesses, without making a statement of intent, the woman must receive a divorce [before she marries another man]. [The rationale is that] perhaps [the man intended to consecrate her through these relations] and relied on them, rather than on the kiddushin that are inadequate.
[The principle on which these rulings depend is:] It is an accepted presumption that no virtuous Jewish man will enter into sexual relations that are wanton when he has the potential to engage in these relations in a way that is a mitzvah.40
כג
המקדש על תנאי וחזר אחר כמה ימים וביטל התנאי אף ע"פ שבטלו בינו לבינה שלא בפני עדים בטל התנאי והרי היא מקודשת סתם. וכן אם היה התנאי מן האשה ובטלה אותו (אח"כ) בינה ובינו בטל התנאי. לפיכך המקדש על תנאי וכנס סתם או בעל סתם הרי זו צריכה גט אע"פ שלא נתקיים התנאי שמא ביטל התנאי כשבעל או כשכנס. וכן המקדש בפחות משוה פרוטה או במלוה וחזר ובעל סתם בפני עדים צריכה גט שעל בעילה זו סמך ולא על אותן הקידושין הפסולין חזקה היא שאין אדם מישראל הכשרים עושה בעילתו בעילת זנות והרי בידו עתה לעשותה בעילת מצוה:
FOOTNOTES
1.It appears that, according to the Rambam, what is significant is the father's consent (or his objection) the first time he hears of the matter. The Ra'avad and others do not share this view and maintain that the father has the option of consenting (or objecting) at all times. The Shulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer 38:8) quotes the Rambam's wording.
2.There are two opinions in Kiddushin 63a, the source for this halachah, regarding the meaning of "consent": a) to say "yes," b) not to object. The Rambam takes the first view, while the Ra'avad and other authorities favor the second. Both views are mentioned in the Shulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer 38:9). Significantly, in his Commentary on the Mishnah, the Rambam mentions the second view.
3.Since the kiddushin are not effective, the woman will not be under any obligation to marry the brother of her intended husband. Were the father to indeed consent, she would be under obligation either to marry the deceased's brother, or have the obligation removed through chalitzah.
4.In his Commentary on the Mishnah (Kiddushin 3:2-3), the Rambam writes that it is necessary to mention both land and money, because it is difficult to hide the ownership of land. Were land to be mentioned in the stipulation, one might think that if it were not known that the person did not own land, we would assume that the kiddushin would be void.
5.I.e., his desire is that she marry another man. He will then show how her original kiddushin were valid, causing her to be considered an adulteress and to be forbidden to her second husband.
6.Rav Moshe HaCohen and others object to the Rambam's ruling, explaining that in such an instance, it is highly unlikely for a man to possess a field in a particular place without people's knowing about it. Hence, if there are no witnesses, the kiddushin are not valid at all; there is no doubt about the matter. The Radbaz (Volume III, Responsum 39) justifies the Rambam's decision, explaining that it is possible that the person temporarily gave the land as a present, or had a deed written in the name of another person to conceal the matter. The Shulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer 38:20) quotes the Rambam's decision.
7.The Maggid Mishneh and the Shulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer 38:22) differentiate between a cleft filled with water that is not fit to use for irrigation, and a cistern of water that is. The latter is included in the measure of the field, even when it is filled with water, because it enhances the value of the field.
8.The same law applies regarding a vow not to wear any other jewelry, clothing or cosmetics that women will frequently wear to adorn themselves. (See Chapter 25, Halachah 1.)
Ketubot 72b describes these vows as involving ענוי נפש, "the oppression of the soul" (cf. Numbers 30:14). Simply put, a woman who must live under such restrictions will not be happy, and it will therefore not be pleasant for her husband to live with her.
In the Beit Yosef and the Shulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer 39:1), Rav Yosef Karo mentions that the vows that nullify a relationship have a larger scope than those involving ענוי נפש; it also includes those בינו לבינה, affecting the relationship between the husband and wife (cf. Numbers 30:17). (For a more detailed explanation of these types of vows, see Hilchot Nedarim, Chapter 12, and Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah, Chapter 234.)
9.Leviticus, Chapter 21, states that a priest who possesses certain physical blemishes may not serve in the Temple. In Hilchot Bi'at HaMikdash, Chapters 6-8, these blemishes are listed.
10.Our translation is based on the Rambam's Commentary on the Mishnah (Ketubot 7:5).
11.An Italian coin equivalent in weight to four barley corns, with a diameter of 2.7 cm (Rambam's Commentary on the Mishnah, Kiddushin 1:1).
12.She cannot marry another man until she receives a divorce, nor may she consummate this marriage unless the husband consecrates her again, stating that he has no objections to her condition.
This ruling is given because we are unsure whether these vows or physical blemishes are disturbing enough to cause a person who did not express concern about the matter to consider himself as having been deceived about the nature of his marriage partner.
13.A wise man has the authority to release people from vows they have taken if they regret having taken them. (See Hilchot Nedarim, Chapter 4.)
The kiddushin are binding only when the wise man nullifies the vows before the woman's intended husband discovers their existence. Once he discovers that she is bound by vows, the kiddushin are nullified even when she has the vows nullified afterwards (Shulchan Aruch, Even HaEzer 39:2).
14.The wording used by the man is significant. If he states: "Behold, you are consecrated on condition that you will not have blemishes," the kiddushin are binding if a physician is able to heal her (Shulchan Aruch, Even HaEzer 39:7).
15.The Rambam appears to be sharing the interpretation of Tosafot, Ketubot 74b, that the reason the kiddushin are nullified if a woman has blemishes that a physician heals is that even after she is healed, the husband will still be repelled by the fact that at one time she possessed physical blemishes.
Rashi, by contrast, explains the difference between a wise man's nullification and a physician's healing as follows: The wise man nullifies the vow at its source, causing it to be considered as never having been taken. Thus, retroactively it is as if the woman had not been bound by a vow at the time of the kiddushin. A physician, by contrast, can heal a blemish only within the existence of a continuum of time. Thus, at the time of the kiddushin, the woman had physical blemishes. Therefore, the kiddushin are not binding.
16.From the Rambam's wording, it would appear that if her second husband died or divorced her within the thirty days, the first man's kiddushin are binding. The Rashba (in his gloss on Kiddushin 59b) does not accept this premise and states that the woman's acceptance of the second kiddushin clearly shows a change in her mind with regard to the first kiddushin. For this reason, they are nullified and can never be binding again (Maggid Mishneh). (See Ramah and Tur, Even HaEzer 40:2.)
17.Rashi, Kiddushin 59b, explains that the doubt is whether his statement is a conditional statement, and thus, after 30 days pass the original kiddushin will retroactively take effect, thus nullifying the kiddushin given her by the second man. Or perhaps by saying "after 30 days," the first man withdrew his initial statement, and his intent was that his kiddushin would not be effective until after 30 days. If this were so, the second man's kiddushin would be binding.
Significantly, if a person made a similar statement with regard to a sale, the Rambam rules (Hilchot Mechirah 2:9) that this is a conditional statement. Thus, it appears that his ruling here is a stringency, accepted because of the severity of the laws of marriage and divorce.
18.The Tur (Even HaEzer 40) states that this is necessary only when the woman wants to marry a third person. If she wants to marry either of the individuals who consecrated her, she may do so, provided the other divorces her. Although the Shulchan Aruch does not quote this ruling, many later authorities do.
19.Although the kiddushin given by the first man do not take effect fully until after 30 days, it is possible for him to divorce her before that date. For when the kiddushin take effect, she will be consecrated retroactively from the time of the original kiddushin, and then these kiddushin will be nullified by the divorce.
20.The doubt centers on whether it is possible to establish a bond of kiddushin that is incomplete. This is an unresolved issue. The latter clause states that if a person desires to establish a bond of kiddushin, but with a proviso, this is definitely unacceptable. As mentioned by the Beit Shmuel 38:68, there are authorities who maintain that the kiddushin are not binding at all.
21.For the very nature of the marriage bond forbids relations with another man.
22.In the Kessef Mishneh and in the Shulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer 40:7), Rav Yosef Karo rules that the status of these kiddushin is doubtful: the woman cannot marry another person until she is divorced, but she must be consecrated again before the marriage can be consummated.
23.This refers to a Canaanite servant, who cannot marry a Jewish woman. Similarly, a male Jew cannot marry a female Canaanite servant.
24.I.e., the man proposing is married to the woman's sister. While his wife (her sister) is alive, he may not marry the woman. Afterwards, he may.
25.Kiddushin 62a explains that at the time the kiddushin were given, the possibility of marriage is "something that has not come into the world," for it is impossible for them to take effect. Therefore, even when the situation changes afterwards, they are not effective retroactively.
26.I.e., when a woman's husband dies childless, she is obligated to marry his brother (referred to as a yavam) through the rite of yibbum, or be freed of her obligation to him through the rite of chalitzah. The Rambam is describing a situation in which another man gives her kiddushin with the expectation that chalitzah will be performed.
27.See Chapter 4, Halachah 14. Since the kiddushin a person gave her now would have some effect, kiddushin given with a conditional statement are binding totally.
The Shulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer 40:6) rules that even when a conditional statement is made, the status of the kiddushin is in doubt. There are some manuscripts of the Mishneh Torah that indicate that the Rambam also shared that view.
28.For the object of the kiddushin does not yet exist.
29.The Ra'avad, the Maggid Mishneh and the Kessef Mishneh interpret the Rambam as stating that the kiddushin given for the fetus are definitely binding. In his Commentary on the Mishnah (Kiddushin 3:5), however, the Rambam explicitly states that this is a Rabbinic stringency, enforced because of the severity of the laws of marriage.
30.Since he began counting them out for her, she is under the impression that she will receive the entire sum, and will not accept less (Kiddushin 8a).
31.For she accepted the kiddushin under the impression that all 100 dinarim were of full value. Nor can he give her a different dinar, because he specified that the kiddushin would be with the coins he was giving her. Even if neither the man nor the woman retracts, the kiddushin are not binding (Maggid Mishneh). (See Ramah, Even HaEzer 29:7.)
32.The Ra'avad objects to this ruling, explaining that even though the man is obligated to exchange the dinar, the kiddushin are binding whether or not he does so. The Shulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer 29:7) quotes the Ra'avad's ruling.
33.The Rambam's wording appears to indicate that the reason no evaluation is necessary is that women usually desire silk, and because of this desire waive the need for evaluation. Implied is that other items that are not that desirable must be evaluated before the kiddushin are binding. The Shulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer 31:1) does not follow this approach. (See Beit Shmuel 31:1.)
Tosafot, Kiddushin 7b, offer a different rationale for the mention of silk: Most people can make at least a rough evaluation of the value of silk. When, however, an object cannot be evaluated easily - e.g., a precious stone - a woman is not consecrated, because she is unsure of the value of the gem until she receives an expert's appraisal. This is one of the sources for the custom of consecrating a woman with a wedding ring that does not contain a stone.
34.For by entering into a conditional agreement when he was not instructed to do so by the principal, the agent deviated from the instructions he was given. As such he is acting on his own initiative, and not as the agent of the principal.
35.Here also, the reason is that the agent deviated from the instructions he was given.
36.Here the intent is a specific measure of time, the amount of time it takes to say: Shalom alecha, rabbi umori.
37.Nedarim 87a states that with the exception of idol worship, marriage and divorce, a retraction made within the abovementioned span of time is reckoned with. Why are these three instances different? In general, a person is not precise with regard to what he says and may make statements, relying on the possibility of retracting them later. In these three instances, however, the severity of the matter is obvious, and a person would not make such statements unless he made them with full presence of mind (Rabbenu Nissim). (See also the Rambam's Commentary on the Mishnah, Temurah 5:3, which mentions several other instances in which a person's retraction is of no consequence.)
38.The Ra'avad objects to the Rambam's ruling, maintaining that the nullification of the condition must also be made in the presence of witnesses. (He does, however, accept the Rambam's decision that if a man brings the woman to the chuppah, without a condition, in the presence of witnesses, the condition is considered to be nullified. For his act is considered equivalent to nullifying the condition.)
The Rashba accepts the Rambam's ruling with regard to conditions involving money - e.g., "Behold, you are consecrated on condition that you give me 200 zuz." For a person may waive a debt owed him, and consider it as received. With regard to other conditions - e.g., "Behold, you are consecrated on condition that you are not bound by vows" - he does not accept the Rambam's position. The Shulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer 38:35) quotes the Rambam's ruling.
39.I.e., the status of the kiddushin originally given is doubtful. If the couple want to continue living together, they must establish kiddushin that are unquestionably binding. And if a second man consecrates her, she must receive a divorce from both men before marrying a third (Ramah, Even HaEzer 38:35).
40.In one of his responsa, the Rambam states that this principle cannot be extended without limit. When a man and a woman engage in sexual relations with a promiscuous intent, we do not say that he intends to consecrate her with these relations. The principle stated above is applied only when there is reason to presume that the man desired to establish a marriage relationship. (See also Hilchot Gerushin 10:19.)
Hayom Yom:
• English Text | Video Class
Wednesday, Kislev 18, 5778 · 06 December 2017
"Today's Day"
Wednesday, Kislev 18, 5704
Torah lessons: Chumash: Vayeishev, Revi'i with Rashi.
Tehillim: 88-89.
Tanya: "You shall reprove (p. 631)...parallel to the other...(p.633).
No tachanun at Mincha.
The Tzemach Tzedek writes: The love expressed in "Beside You I wish for nothing,"1 means that one should desire nothing other than G-d, not even "Heaven" or "earth" i.e. Higher Gan Eden and Lower Gan Eden, for these were created with a mere yud...2. The love is to be directed to Him alone, to His very Being and Essence. This was actually expressed by my master and teacher3 (the Alter Rebbe) when he was in a state of d'veikut4 and he exclaimed as follows:
I want nothing at all! I don't want Your gan eden, I don't want Your olam haba... I want nothing but You alone.
GOOD YOM TOV.
MAY YOU BE INSCRIBED AND SEALED
FOR A GOOD YEAR IN THE STUDY OF CHASSIDUS
AND THE WAYS OF CHASSIDUS
FOOTNOTES
1.Tehillim 73:25.
2.The Divine Essence-name, Havayeh (the Tetragrammaton), is source of all creation. Olam haba, spiritual Hereafter, including Gan Eden, was created from the first (and smallest) letter - yud - of the Name.
3.After "...teacher" there appears in the Hebrew the expression "may his soul rest in eden."
4.Ecstatic, cleaving devotion to G-d. See Sh'vat 23.
Daily Thought:
Unwrapping
We pray and He answers with blessings. But we ask, “If you are already giving us blessings, why in such clumsy packages with so many strings attached?”
And He answers, “If you are giving me your innermost heart in prayer, why in such thick layers of ego? Why with such cold words? Why do you hold back your tears?”
“I’ll make you a deal,” He says. “You bare your souls from their wrappings, and I will bare My blessings of their clouds.” (Maamar Vayigash Elav 5725, 6.)
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