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Kesubos 24a

כתובות כ״ד ע״א

Ketubot 24a

Learn Kesubos 24a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Why the משנה needs each of its 'הפה שאסר' and captive-woman cases, and whether רבי יהודה and the רבנן worry about גומלין (people vouching for each other).

Overview

The גמרא finishes explaining why the משנה needs each of its 'הפה שאסר' cases: the two money cases, and the married woman who says she is divorced, which is an איסור. It then asks why the משנה needs each of the following cases. The captive woman who says she is pure is a lead-in: either to the rule about witnesses who come after she marries, or to the case of two captured women. The case of two captured women teaches that we do not worry about גומלין, people vouching for each other in exchange. The case of two men who say they are כהנים is there to open the argument between רבי יהודה and the רבנן. A ברייתא spells out that argument: the רבנן believe the men for תרומה, but רבי יהודה does not. The גמרא then points out that in a משנה about donkey drivers the two sides seem to hold the opposite views about גומלין. רב answers that the names are switched in one source. אביי answers that רבי יהודה is lenient only with דמאי. רבא adds that the רבנן are not contradicting themselves either, because the donkey-drivers case involves a man with the tools of his trade in hand; that explanation continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

אֵימָא לָא.

say no.

וְאִי אַשְׁמְעִינַן הָנֵי תַּרְתֵּי,

And if he had taught us these two,

מִשּׁוּם דְּמָמוֹנָא,

that is because it is money;

אֲבָל אֵשֶׁת אִישׁ, דְּאִיסּוּרָא —

but a married woman, which is a matter of איסור —

The steps (16)

  1. ResolutionFinishing the reason the money cases are both needed
  2. ResolutionWhy the married-woman case is also needed
  3. ChallengeWhy teach the case of the captive woman?
  4. ResolutionIt sets up the rule about witnesses coming later
  5. ChallengeThat answer works only for one opinion
  6. ResolutionIt sets up the case of two captured women
  7. ChallengeWhy teach the case of two captured women?
  8. ResolutionNo worry that the women are covering for each other
  9. ChallengeWhy teach the case of two men?
  10. ResolutionThe two men are a lead-in to an argument
  11. StatementThe ברייתא: two men who say they are both כהנים
  12. ChallengeThe donkey drivers seem to show the opposite
  13. Resolutionרב: The names in one source are switched
  14. Resolutionאביי: Keep the names; דמאי is a lenient case
  15. Challengeרבא: The רבנן's side is still unsolved
  16. Resolutionרבא: Neither side contradicts itself