Kesubos 10b

כתובות י׳ ע״ב

Ketubot 10b

Learn Kesubos 10b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Kesubos 10b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Stories of grooms who found no blood of בתולים, the new משנה on the amount of the כתובה, and word-readings starting from אלמנה

Overview

The amud opens by finishing an earlier point: the cloth test used in ארץ ישראל can't work in בבל, because the stone used in גיהוץ would scrape the blood away. Next come three stories of grooms who found no blood. רבן גמליאל בר רבי uses a wine-barrel test, first tried on two שפחות, to show a bride is still a בתולה. רבן גמליאל הזקן confirms that the women of the דורקטי family have no blood at all. רבי sees that a starving couple's bodies were dried out, and once they are fed, blood appears. Along the way the גמרא discusses whether lacking blood is a blessing or a loss. Then a new משנה sets the כתובה at 200 for a בתולה and a מנה for a widow. The גמרא explains, through רב חנא בגדתאה, that the word אלמנה comes from מנה. It then brings more of his sayings, about rain and dates, along with word-readings of מזבח, דשא, דרגא and פוריא. The amud ends with the start of a statement by רב נחמן בר יצחק that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (38)

1. ResponseOur cleaning method would erase the evidence
2. StatementA groom and bride bring opposite claims to רבן גמליאל בר רבי
3. StatementThe wine-barrel test proves she is a בתולה
4. ChallengeWhy not test the bride right away?
5. ResolutionHe knew the test only in theory and didn't want to shame her for nothing
6. StatementA bride claims her family has no such blood
7. StatementHer relatives confirm the claim, and the groom is told he is fortunate
8. QuestionWhat does the name דורקטי mean?
9. Responseדורקטי means a cut-off generation
10. Statementרבן גמליאל's comfort was empty
11. ProofProof that blood is good for a woman
12. StatementTwo versions of what רבן גמליאל said
13. ChallengeWhat gain is there in a wife with no blood?
14. ResolutionThe gain: no doubts about נדה
15. StatementA new case before רבי: no blood found
16. Statementרבי feeds the hungry couple and blood appears
17. Statementרבי applies a פסוק about famine
18. StatementNew משנה: how much a כתובה is worth
19. QuestionWhere does the word for widow come from?
20. ResponseA widow is named after the מנה
21. ChallengeBut a widow from betrothal gets 200
22. ResolutionThe name carried over to her as well
23. ChallengeBut the תורה already uses the word
24. ResolutionThe תורה looked ahead to the רבנן's rule
25. ChallengeDoes the תורה write about the future?
26. ProofProof from the river חדקל and the city of אשור
27. ConclusionThe city did not exist yet, so the same is true of אלמנה
28. StatementFive things rain does
29. ProofA פסוק that hints at the five benefits of rain
30. StatementThe word מזבח stands for four good things
31. ChallengeAren't removing and atoning the same thing?
32. ResolutionRemoving decrees versus atoning for sins
33. StatementFive effects of dates
34. StatementSomeone who ate dates should not rule
35. ChallengeA ברייתא praises dates
36. ResolutionHealthy but briefly confusing, like wine
37. ResolutionBefore bread or after bread
38. StatementWord breakdowns for door, ladder and bed