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Kesubos 55a

כתובות נ״ה ע״א

Ketubot 55a

Learn Kesubos 55a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

How the תוספת כתובה works like the main כתובה, a series of disputes between פומבדיתא and מתא מחסיא, and whether the הלכה follows רבי אלעזר בן עזריה

Overview

This amud opens by finishing a list of laws where the extra sum a husband adds to the כתובה (the תוספת) follows the same rules as the basic כתובה. The last item on the list, כתובת בנין דכרין, leads to a dispute between the scholars of פומבדיתא and the people of מתא מחסיא. The argument is over whether the sons can take that money from property their father sold. It depends on whether the משנה says 'they will inherit' or 'they will take,' and the הלכה follows פומבדיתא: they cannot. The same two groups then argue about whether a widow needs an oath when collecting from movables or land her husband set aside for her, and both times the הלכה is that no oath is needed. They also argue about witnesses told to write and deliver a gift document without a קנין. Here the הלכה follows מתא מחסיא: the witnesses must check with the giver first. Finally the גמרא returns to the משנה's opinion of רבי אלעזר בן עזריה. רב and רבי נתן argue over whether the הלכה follows him, and the גמרא suggests רבי נתן is the one who does, since he rules by אומדנא, a person's assumed intent.

Opening lines

לְשֶׁבַח; לִשְׁבוּעָה;

For increase in value; for an oath;

וְלִשְׁבִיעִית;

and for the Sabbatical Year;

וּלְכוֹתֵב כׇּל נְכָסָיו לְבָנָיו;

and for one who writes all his property over to his sons;

לִגְבּוֹת מִן הַקַּרְקַע וּמִן הַזִּיבּוּרִית;

to collect from land, and from the poorest-quality land;

The steps (12)

  1. ResponseThe rest of the list where the extra sum works like the main כתובה
  2. Statementפומבדיתא: the sons cannot take back property the father sold
  3. Statementמתא מחסיא: the sons can take back property the father sold
  4. ConclusionThe הלכה follows פומבדיתא
  5. StatementMovable items set aside for the כתובה
  6. ConclusionRuling on lost movables: no oath
  7. StatementLand set aside for the כתובה
  8. ConclusionRuling on land marked by one border: no oath
  9. StatementWitnesses told to write a gift document
  10. ConclusionRuling on the gift: the witnesses must check again
  11. Statementרב and רבי נתן disagree about following רבי אלעזר בן עזריה
  12. Proofרבי נתן likely follows רבי אלעזר בן עזריה because he rules based on assumed intent