Kesubos 88b

כתובות פ״ח ע״ב

Ketubot 88b

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Topic

Three readings of רבי שמעון's rule about when heirs can make the widow swear, and the start of a new משנה about a גט without a כתובה

Overview

This amud asks what רבי שמעון meant when he said the heirs can make the widow swear only while she is claiming her כתובה. The first explanation links his argument with the רבנן to the dispute of חנן and בני כהנים גדולים about a woman whose husband went overseas. רב ששת rejects this, because in that case the husband is alive, so it would be בית דין, not 'heirs', who make her swear. He places רבי שמעון's words on the widow who did or did not manage the estate. He compares that to אבא שאול's dispute about a guardian of orphans, which makes רבי שמעון the lenient side. אביי objects that the word 'whenever' sounds like adding an oath. He moves רבי שמעון's words to the case where the husband freed her from oaths, and links it to the dispute of אבא שאול בן אימא מרים. רב פפא objects that, on that reading, the second half of רבי שמעון's words teaches nothing. He explains that רבי שמעון rejects both רבי אליעזר and his opponents: the heirs can make her swear only when she claims her כתובה. A new משנה then begins, about a woman who brings a גט but no כתובה, and it continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (15)

1. StatementThe argument mirrors an older dispute
2. ProofQuoting the dispute of חנן and בני כהנים גדולים
3. ConclusionMatching each side to the older opinions
4. Challengeרב ששת: it should say 'the court', not 'the heirs'
5. Resolutionרב ששת's new reading: the widow manager case
6. ConclusionWhat רבי שמעון adds to that case
7. ProofThe dispute mirrors the guardian debate
8. ConclusionMatching each side to the guardian dispute
9. Challengeאביי objects to רבי שמעון's wording
10. Resolutionאביי moves רבי שמעון's comment to the 'no oath' clause
11. Conclusionרבי שמעון: claiming the כתובה brings back the oath
12. Conclusionאביי links his new reading to the dispute of אבא שאול
13. Challengeרב פפא asks what the second half of רבי שמעון's words teaches
14. Resolutionרב פפא says רבי שמעון argues against רבי אליעזר and his opponents
15. StatementNew משנה: a woman brings a גט but no כתובה