Kesubos 60b

כתובות ס׳ ע״ב

Ketubot 60b

Learn Kesubos 60b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

A nursing mother's waiting period before remarrying, its exceptions, and the duties of a hired wet nurse

Overview

This amud opens in the middle of a ברייתא about how long a nursing mother must wait before remarrying. רבי מאיר says 24 months and רבי יהודה says 18 months, and רבן שמעון בן גמליאל shortens each opinion by three months. אביי relies on lenient rulings to let his tenant farmer get engaged after 15 months. Then רב יוסף tells him that רב and שמואל require a full 24 months. אביי runs after the farmer but cannot catch him, and he learns that one should not rule in front of his teacher. Next a ברייתא lets the mother remarry at once if the baby is with a wet nurse, weaned, or has died. After a debate based on the rule that the הלכה follows רבי מאיר in his decrees, the גמרא rules that if the baby died she may remarry, but if she weaned him she may not. The amud ends with the duties of a hired wet nurse, the foods that harm milk, and a list of things a mother does that are said to affect her children. That list continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (30)

1. Statementרבי מאיר says 24 months, רבי יהודה says 18 months
2. StatementThis is the same argument as בית שמאי and בית הלל
3. Statementרבן שמעון בן גמליאל takes three months off each opinion
4. Statementעולא and מר עוקבא give lenient rulings
5. Questionאביי's tenant farmer asks about getting engaged at 15 months
6. Responseאביי allows it and stacks up his reasons
7. Rejectionרב יוסף: רב and שמואל require a full 24 months
8. Conclusionאביי runs after the farmer but cannot catch him
9. Statementאביי's lesson: don't rule in front of your teacher
10. StatementA teaching: if the baby no longer nurses, she may remarry at once
11. RejectionAn old woman reports that רב נחמן forbade it
12. ChallengeBut רב נחמן allowed it for the ראש גלותא's household
13. ResolutionThe ראש גלותא's household is different
14. Proofרב פפי brings a teaching: even unlikely-pregnant women must wait
15. ProofRule follows רבי מאיר's protective decrees
16. ResponseThe rabbis admit they forgot
17. ConclusionFinal ruling: died is allowed, weaned is forbidden
18. Statementמר בר רב אשי forbids even if the baby died
19. ProofA real case where a woman strangled her baby
20. RejectionThat woman was insane
21. StatementA hired wet nurse's duties
22. ChallengeWhy mention a friend's child?
23. ResolutionA friend's child might have seemed allowed
24. QuestionWho pays for the nurse's extra food?
25. ResponseShe pays for it herself
26. QuestionWhich foods are 'bad'?
27. Responseרב כהנא's list of bad foods
28. ResponseThree more אמוראים add foods
29. ConclusionWhy these foods are harmful
30. StatementHow a mother's actions affect her children