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Kesubos 38b

כתובות ל״ח ע״ב

Ketubot 38b

Learn Kesubos 38b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Who receives the קנס for a נערה: the readings of בתולה and אשר לא אורסה, the two versions of רבי עקיבא, and a girl who died

Overview

The גמרא explains how רבי עקיבא uses the words בתולה and אשר לא אורסה in the קנס פסוקים. After some back-and-forth, it concludes that בתולה excludes a בעולה, because her body changed. אשר לא אורסה is then used for the גזירה שוה between אונס and מפתה, so a divorced ארוסה still gets a קנס. רבי יוסי הגלילי learns the same comparison from the phrase כמוהר הבתולות instead. Next, the גמרא notes that רבי עקיבא's view is reported two ways: the fine goes to the girl or to her father. It answers that two תנאים reported his view differently. רב נחמן בר יצחק defends the ברייתא's version by reading the words as 'who is not betrothed now.' רבה follows the משנה's version instead. רב חסדא then explains a ברייתא's dispute over who gets the fine as this same split. Finally, אביי rules there is no קנס if the girl died, while רבא asks whether a dead girl can become a בוגרת in the grave, so that the fine would go to her son rather than her father.

Opening lines

אֵימָא: ״בְּתוּלָה״ — לִגְזֵירָה שָׁוָה,

Say: "virgin" is for a verbal analogy,

וַ״אֲשֶׁר לֹא אוֹרָסָה״ —

and "who was not betrothed"

פְּרָט לְנַעֲרָה שֶׁנִּתְאָרְסָה וְנִתְגָּרְשָׁה!

comes to exclude a young woman who was betrothed and divorced!

מִסְתַּבְּרָא ״אֲשֶׁר לֹא אוֹרָסָה״ לִגְזֵירָה שָׁוָה,

It stands to reason that "who was not betrothed" is for the verbal analogy,

The steps (20)

  1. ChallengeWhy not flip the two words?
  2. ResolutionShe is still a נערה בתולה
  3. ChallengeThe argument works the other way too
  4. ResolutionHer body changed, and the other's did not
  5. QuestionWhere does רבי יוסי הגלילי get the comparison?
  6. ResponseLearned from מוהר הבתולות
  7. Challengeרבי עקיבא contradicts himself
  8. ResolutionTwo reports of רבי עקיבא's view
  9. ChallengeDoes the ברייתא's version of רבי עקיבא erase the verse's plain meaning?
  10. ResolutionRead the verse as 'who is not betrothed'
  11. ChallengeWhy is a verse needed for a betrothed girl?
  12. ResolutionWithout the verse, we might think the fine is paid even with death
  13. ChallengeWhat about רבה, who holds the fine is paid even with death?
  14. Resolutionרבה follows the משנה's version of רבי עקיבא
  15. StatementA ברייתא: does the fine go to the father or to the girl?
  16. ChallengeWhy would the fine go to her?
  17. Resolutionרב חסדא: the ברייתא is about a divorced ארוסה
  18. Statementאביי: no fine if the girl died
  19. StatementWhat was obvious to אביי was a question for רבא
  20. Questionרבא asks: can a girl become grown in the grave?