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Kesubos 65a

כתובות ס״ה ע״א

Ketubot 65a

Learn Kesubos 65a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Kesubos 65a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Wine and bedding in the support given to a wife or widow: when wine is allowed, stories of widows asking judges for support, and the mats, pillow and cushion in the משנה's list.

Overview

The גמרא rules that wine is not part of the fixed support for a wife. It learns this from חנה, whom the פסוק describes as eating but not drinking. A ברייתא says a woman used to wine does get wine. The גמרא answers in two ways: אביי's reading of שמואל, where the number of cups depends on her habit and on whether her husband is present, or that the wine is meant for cooking, as in the story of נקדימון בן גוריון's daughter-in-law. A ברייתא then describes what each extra cup of wine does to a woman. רבא limits that concern to when her husband is away, and the גמרא explains that חנה was a guest, so her husband's presence did not help. Three stories follow about widows asking judges for wine and more, including the dramatic story of חומא, אביי's widow, before רבא. Finally the גמרא explains the משנה's bedding items: mats for rope beds, and a מחלוקת over a pillow and cushion. It then begins the next item, a cap, with a question from רב פפא to אביי that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

אֵין פּוֹסְקִין יֵינוֹת לָאִשָּׁה,

We do not allot wines to a woman,

וְאִם תֹּאמַר:

And if you will say:

״אֵלְכָה אַחֲרֵי מְאַהֲבַי

"I will go after my lovers

נוֹתְנֵי לַחְמִי וּמֵימַי

who give me my bread and my water,

The steps (29)

  1. StatementWine is not part of a wife's set support
  2. RejectionThe פסוק in הושע does not mean wine
  3. Proofרבי יהודה's source from חנה
  4. ChallengeThen should 'she ate' mean he did not eat?
  5. ResolutionOnly a change in wording teaches something
  6. ChallengeA woman used to wine is given wine
  7. ResolutionA woman used to wine is a special case
  8. ChallengeWhat is שמואל saying?
  9. Resolutionאביי explains the four cases
  10. ResolutionAnother answer: her wine is for cooking
  11. ProofThe story of נקדימון בן גוריון's daughter-in-law
  12. StatementWhy חכמים did not answer אמן
  13. StatementWhat happens with each cup a woman drinks
  14. Statementרבא: the warning only applies when her husband is away
  15. ChallengeBut חנה's husband was with her
  16. ResolutionA guest is different
  17. Statementאביי's widow asks רבא for food and wine
  18. Statementחומא shows the size of the cups and her arm is uncovered
  19. Statementרבא goes home and his wife asks who was in court
  20. Statementבת רב חסדא drives חומא out of מחוזא
  21. Statementרב נחמיה gives a widow wine because the people of מחוזא drink wine
  22. StatementA widow asks רב יוסף for wine and silk
  23. QuestionWhy does she need mats if she has a bed?
  24. ResponseRope beds wear her down, so she needs a mat
  25. StatementArgument over giving her a pillow and cushion
  26. ChallengeNeither side makes sense in a simple case
  27. ResolutionHe uses them, she doesn't: the תנא קמא's view
  28. Resolutionרבי נתן: she fears he will take her bedding
  29. StatementNext item in the משנה: a cap