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Kesubos 49b

כתובות מ״ט ע״ב

Ketubot 49b

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Topic

Feeding one's children: readings of the משנה, the תקנות of אושא, and how they were enforced

Overview

The גמרא first finishes matching our משנה ('a father is not obligated to feed his daughter') to רבי מאיר. It then offers two more readings, by רבי יהודה and by רבי יוחנן בן ברוקא. Next it brings a תקנה made in אושא: a man must feed his young sons and daughters. Stories about רב יהודה, רב חסדא and רבא show that judges only shamed such a father and did not force him. The exception is a wealthy father, whom the court does force, just as רבא forced רב נתן בר אמי to give charity. A second אושא rule follows: a man who gives all his property to his sons is still fed from it, together with his wife. The גמרא asks why that rule was needed when a widow is fed even after the property passed to the daughter's husband. It answers that a living husband might have been told to go work. Finally the גמרא asks whether the הלכה follows this rule and begins a story about רבי יונתן, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

דַּאֲפִילּוּ בִּתּוֹ,

That even his daughter,

חוֹבָה הוּא דְּלֵיכָּא,

it is an obligation that there is not,

הָא מִצְוָה אִיכָּא.

but a מצוה there is.

וְאִיבָּעֵית אֵימָא רַבִּי יְהוּדָה,

And if you wish, say it is Rabbi Yehuda,

The steps (21)

  1. ResolutionFinishing the רבי מאיר reading: no duty for a daughter, but still a מצוה
  2. ResolutionSecond reading: the משנה follows רבי יהודה
  3. ResolutionThird reading: the משנה follows רבי יוחנן בן ברוקא
  4. StatementThe rule made in אושא: a man must feed his young children
  5. QuestionIs the הלכה like the rule of אושא?
  6. Responseרב יהודה's sharp rebuke: even a jackal doesn't dump its young on the town
  7. Responseרב חסדא publicly shames the father
  8. ChallengeDo ravens really care for their young?
  9. ResolutionTwo kinds of ravens
  10. Responseרבא asks the father if he's happy with charity
  11. ConclusionA wealthy father can be forced
  12. Proofרבא forced a rich man to give charity
  13. StatementA father who gives everything to his sons is still supported
  14. ChallengeWhy was this rule needed? A bigger rule already exists
  15. ProofThe source: רבין's letter about the widow
  16. ProofEven after the daughter dies, the widow is fed
  17. ChallengeSo surely a living man and his wife are fed
  18. ResolutionA living husband can work, so the תקנה was needed
  19. QuestionDo we rule like the תקנה of אושא?
  20. ProofA man kisses רבי יונתן's foot
  21. Proofרבי יונתן starts to explain the kiss