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Kesubos 66b

כתובות ס״ו ע״ב

Ketubot 66b

Learn Kesubos 66b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Dowry amounts and the wife's perfume fund in the כתובה, and the story of נקדימון בן גוריון's daughter

Overview

This amud opens with the last line of an earlier משנה: for dowry goods, the groom writes one-fifth less than their appraised value. A ברייתא then teaches that a father's promised gift to a son-in-law does not pass to the brother who takes his place through יבום, even if that brother is a greater תלמיד חכם. The גמרא explains that the משנה's appraisal examples are not repeats, because each one adds a new point. A new משנה teaches that a cash dowry is written at one and a half times its value, and that the groom adds ten דינרים per מנה for her fund. רבן שמעון בן גמליאל says it all follows local custom. רב אשי explains that the fund is for perfumes and applies only in ירושלים. His questions about how to count it and how often to pay it end in תיקו. The גמרא then tells of נקדימון בן גוריון's daughter, who once had a huge perfume allowance and was later found starving by רבן יוחנן בן זכאי. Finally, the גמרא begins asking whether נקדימון really failed to give צדקה, and that question continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

שֶּׁחָתָן פּוֹסֵק —

[whatever] the groom pledges —

הוּא פּוֹסֵק פָּחוֹת חוֹמֶשׁ.

he pledges one-fifth less.

גְּמָ׳ תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן:

GEMARA: The Rabbis taught:

אֵין צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר

It goes without saying

The steps (21)

  1. StatementThe groom writes one-fifth less
  2. StatementThe father-in-law's promise does not pass to the brother
  3. ChallengeIsn't this the same as the first clause?
  4. ResolutionBig and small appraisals, his side and her side
  5. StatementA cash dowry is written at one and a half times its value
  6. StatementEverything follows local custom
  7. ChallengeIsn't this the same as the thousand-dinar case?
  8. ResolutionBoth a big sum and a small sum are needed
  9. QuestionWhat is the 'קופה'?
  10. ResponseIt is a fund for perfumes
  11. StatementThis rule was said only for ירושלים
  12. QuestionCount ten from which amount?
  13. QuestionHow often is the perfume money given?
  14. ConclusionThe questions stay unresolved
  15. StatementThe huge perfume allowance of נקדימון בן גוריון's daughter
  16. Statementרבן יוחנן בן זכאי sees a starving young woman
  17. StatementShe asks for help and reveals who she is
  18. StatementWhere did all the family's money go?
  19. StatementShe reminds him of her כתובה, and he recalls its huge sum
  20. Statementרבן יוחנן בן זכאי cries over the fate of ישראל
  21. ChallengeDid נקדימון really not give charity?