Kesubos 26a

כתובות כ״ו ע״א

Ketubot 26a

Learn Kesubos 26a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

How a man's status as a כהן is established: a casual remark, receiving תרומה or מעשר ראשון, a share received in בית דין, and the testimony of one witness

Overview

The גמרא first explains how a brother's word can count: it works when he speaks casually (מסיח לפי תומו). It backs this up with a story about a man who casually remembered being immersed as a child to eat תרומה, and רבי accepted him as a כהן on that basis. Next, a ברייתא of רבי שמעון בן אלעזר says that receiving מעשר ראשון, like תרומה, creates a חזקה of כהונה. The גמרא explains this through רבי אלעזר בן עזריה's view that a כהן may also get מעשר ראשון, and through עזרא's penalty that took it away from the לויים. רב חסדא then limits the ruling to the son of a known כהן who received an official share at the threshing floor. That share shows he is not a חלל. רב ששת explains that a share 'in בית דין' means inheriting תרומה with brothers, which proves nothing, because a חלל may own it to sell. Finally, the גמרא asks how רבן שמעון בן גמליאל differs from רבי אליעזר in the משנה about one witness. It rejects one answer and begins describing a new case, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (20)

1. ResolutionThe brother spoke casually
2. ProofThe story of the man who remembered eating תרומה
3. Proofרבי חייא's ending: רבי made him a כהן
4. Statementרבי שמעון בן אלעזר: first tithe also proves priesthood
5. ChallengeBut מעשר ראשון goes to a לוי
6. ResolutionThis follows רבי אלעזר בן עזריה
7. ChallengeBut a לוי can still receive it
8. ResolutionAfter עזרא's penalty, only כהנים received מעשר ראשון
9. ChallengeMaybe they gave it to him by chance
10. Resolutionרב חסדא: The father is a known כהן and the son's status is rumored
11. ResolutionEven if זרים may eat מעשר, no one gives them an official share
12. ChallengeIf בית דין does not prove status, what does?
13. Resolutionרב ששת: It means inheriting תרומה with brothers
14. ChallengeIsn't that obvious?
15. ResolutionThe brothers eat it, but he may only sell it
16. StatementQuoting the משנה about one witness for כהונה
17. ChallengeAren't רבן שמעון בן גמליאל and רבי אליעזר saying the same thing?
18. ResolutionA suggested difference: can one witness make a challenge?
19. Rejectionרבי יוחנן: everyone agrees a challenge needs two
20. ResolutionA new case: a known כהן's son who was taken down by a rumor