Kesubos 107b

כתובות ק״ז ע״ב

Ketubot 107b

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Topic

Feeding a wife whose husband went overseas: שמואל's defenses, the final הלכה like רב, and the new משנה about a provider who fed her

Overview

The גמרא is in the middle of the argument between רב and שמואל about a wife whose husband went overseas: does בית דין give her food from his property? It first finishes a side dispute about whether she also gets צדקה or תכשיט. Then it brings three sources against שמואל: a יבמה whose יבם ran away, a woman who comes back from overseas and says her husband died or divorced her, and a ממאנת. שמואל answers each one. Either the husband was reported dead, or his two worries (that he left her money, or told her to live on her earnings) do not apply. Next, רב דימי and רבין report real court cases before רבי and רבי ישמעאל, with opposite versions of who gave her food. The גמרא rules like רב: we give food to a married woman whose husband went away. It adds rulings that a wife may give up her food and keep her earnings, and that white and black glazed vessels without cracks are permitted while green ones are forbidden. A new משנה follows: someone fed a wife while her husband was overseas. חנן says the provider lost his money, and the בני כהנים גדולים say he swears and collects. The גמרא then begins quoting a משנה from נדרים about a מודר הנאה, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (24)

1. StatementFinishing the dispute over charity versus jewelry
2. ChallengeA ברייתא about a יבמה that seems to contradict שמואל
3. Resolutionשמואל: neither of my worries applies to a יבם
4. ChallengeA woman returns from overseas and is fed from her husband's property
5. ResolutionThe case is when people heard that the husband died
6. QuestionWhy is she supported only up to her כתובה amount?
7. ResponseShe caused the loss to herself
8. ChallengeA refusing girl loses food, so others whose husbands are away must get it
9. Resolutionשמואל: neither worry applies to a young girl
10. QuestionWhat was decided in practice?
11. Responseרב דימי reports two real cases
12. Challengeרבי יוחנן questions רבי ישמעאל's refusal
13. Resolutionשמואל explained the משנה as a case where the husband was reported dead
14. Statementרבין reports the same cases the opposite way
15. Challengeרבי יוחנן questions רבי's refusal
16. ResolutionThe same answer: the משנה is about a husband reported dead
17. ConclusionThe הלכה follows רב: we give food to a married woman
18. ConclusionA wife may give up her food in exchange for keeping her earnings
19. ConclusionThe הלכה follows רב זביד on glazed vessels
20. StatementCracked glazed vessels are always forbidden
21. StatementNew משנה: someone supports a wife while her husband is overseas
22. StatementThe בני כהנים גדולים disagree, and רבי דוסא agrees with them
23. Statementרבן יוחנן בן זכאי sides with חנן
24. StatementThe גמרא begins quoting a משנה about a vow forbidding benefit