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Bava Kamma 89a

בבא קמא פ״ט ע״א

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Topic

Whether תקנת אושא can be proven, who keeps the money from selling the טובת הנאה of a כתובה, and why a married woman who injures someone cannot pay.

Overview

The amud opens in the middle of a ברייתא about witnesses who falsely said a married woman already got her כתובה. They pay only its טובת הנאה, meaning what a buyer would pay for it, knowing the husband inherits her if she dies first. The גמרא tries to use this ruling to prove תקנת אושא, but אביי pushes the proof away by pointing to נכסי צאן ברזל. אביי then says the money from selling the טובת הנאה belongs to the wife. רב שלמן weakens his proof, and רבא rules that the money is hers and the husband does not even eat its profits. Next, רב פפא and רב הונא בריה דרב יהושע bring a new proof for תקנת אושא from the משנה about a wife who injures someone. The גמרא rejects that proof: the משנה must be about a woman with no נכסי מלוג. The גמרא then asks why she cannot sell her כתובה's טובת הנאה to pay, and tries several answers: רבי מאיר, 'just words', and שמואל's rule about cancelling a debt. It ends on the idea that she would surely forgive her husband, and starts a new suggestion that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וַהֲרֵי הִיא תַּחְתָּיו וּמְשַׁמַּשְׁתּוֹ;

and she is under him and serves him;

וְנִמְצְאוּ זוֹמְמִין;

and they were found to be plotting witnesses;

אֵין אוֹמְרִים יְשַׁלְּמוּ כׇּל כְּתוּבָּתָהּ,

we do not say they pay her entire כתובה,

אֶלָּא טוֹבַת הֲנָאַת כְּתוּבָּתָהּ.

rather the financial advantage of her כתובה.

The steps (20)

  1. StatementThe ruling: false witnesses pay only the market value of the כתובה
  2. StatementHow the market value of a כתובה is calculated
  3. ProofProof that תקנת אושא exists
  4. Rejectionאביי: the ברייתא can be explained without תקנת אושא
  5. Statementאביי: the money from selling טובת הנאה belongs to the wife
  6. Proofאביי's proof: otherwise the false witnesses caused her no loss
  7. Rejectionרב שלמן: she still loses, because the household gains
  8. ConclusionThe הלכה: the money is the wife's, and the husband gets no profits from it
  9. ProofA proof for תקנת אושא from the משנה about a wife who injures others
  10. RejectionRejecting the proof: she could still sell the טובת הנאה, so the case must be a woman with no property
  11. ChallengeWhy can't she sell the טובת הנאה of her כתובה to pay?
  12. ResolutionThe משנה follows רבי מאיר: a wife may not be left without a כתובה
  13. QuestionWhat is the reason behind רבי מאיר's rule?
  14. ChallengeThat reason does not apply when she sold her כתובה
  15. ResolutionNew answer: טובת הנאה is just 'words'
  16. ChallengeBut these 'words' are sold for real money
  17. ResolutionThird answer: שמואל's rule that a seller can cancel the debt
  18. ChallengeLet her sell anyway, and if she cancels it, so be it
  19. ResolutionShe will surely forgive her husband, so we will not cause the buyer a loss
  20. ChallengeSuggestion: let her sell it to the injured person himself