Kesubos 23b

כתובות כ״ג ע״ב

Ketubot 23b

Learn Kesubos 23b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Kesubos 23b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Captive women and claimed כהנים: when one person is believed about herself or about another

Overview

The משנה teaches that two captive women are not believed when each says she herself is pure, but they are believed when each testifies for the other. A ברייתא lists four things a captive woman might say about herself and her friend. The גמרא finds that some of its clauses need עדים of captivity while the middle clause needs none. אביי accepts that the ברייתא switches cases this way. רב פפא instead says every clause has עדים of captivity plus a single עד who contradicts her. He shows why each case is needed: we do not suspect she hurt herself to hurt her friend, and she is believed about her friend even when she is clearing herself. A new משנה applies the same idea to two men who claim to be כהנים, and רבי יהודה, רבי אלעזר and רבי שמעון בן הסגן argue about whether one witness is enough. The גמרא then asks why the פרק needs all its similar cases, and begins showing that each one teaches something new. That explanation continues on the next עמוד.

Opening lines

The steps (23)

1. StatementTwo captive women: believed for each other, not for themselves
2. StatementA ברייתא lists four ways a captive woman can speak about herself and her friend
3. QuestionWhat case is the second clause talking about?
4. ResponseThe second clause must be a case with עדים
5. ChallengeThe middle clause must be a case without עדים
6. ChallengeThe last clause also needs witnesses
7. ChallengeAn odd pattern: witnesses, no witnesses, witnesses
8. Resolutionאביי: Yes, the ברייתא really switches
9. Resolutionרב פפא: Witnesses throughout, plus one opposing witness
10. Resolutionרב פפא's reading of 'I am pure, my friend is tainted'
11. ResolutionThird case: she says both are impure, the עד says both are pure
12. ChallengeWhy do we need this case? It repeats the first clause
13. ResolutionWe might have thought she was sacrificing herself to hurt her friend
14. ResolutionFourth case: she says both are pure, the עד says both are impure
15. ChallengeWhy do we need this case? It repeats the very first case
16. ResolutionShe is believed about her friend even when she is helping herself
17. StatementTwo men who each claim to be a כהן
18. Statementרבי יהודה requires more than one witness
19. Statementרבי אלעזר limits the rule to when there are challengers
20. StatementOne witness is enough to establish a כהן
21. ChallengeWhy does the פרק need all these cases?
22. ResolutionThe field case alone would not teach the witnesses case
23. ResolutionThe witnesses case alone would not teach the field case