Kesubos 98a

כתובות צ״ח ע״א

Ketubot 98a

Learn Kesubos 98a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

A widow's מזונות after partial collection, the oath and announcement when she sells estate property, and the משנה on a widow who sells at the wrong price.

Overview

The עמוד opens with the last line of an earlier discussion: how רבי אלעזר and רבי שמעון read the word 'בבתוליה'. That line shows their dispute is about reading a פסוק, not about whether part of the money counts like all of it. Next, a widow takes a silver cup toward her כתובה and still asks for food. רבא tells the יתומים to feed her, since no one disputes רבי שמעון that partial payment is not full payment. Then רבה בריה דרבא asks רב יוסף whether a widow who sells without בית דין must take a שבועה. He explains that he has no doubt about a הכרזה, because רב נחמן's ruling seems to show that a sale to others works without one. The גמרא pushes that proof aside with the idea 'Who appraised it for you?', backed by רבי אמי's case of the orphans' coral. The final הלכה is that she needs a שבועה but not a הכרזה. A new משנה follows about a widow who sells at the wrong price or sells more than her כתובה covers. The גמרא begins asking why she cannot keep the profit when she overcharges, and רב נחמן's answer continues on the next עמוד.

Opening lines

The steps (16)

1. RejectionReading 'in her virginity' as all of her virginity
2. StatementA widow who took a silver cup still gets food
3. QuestionMust a widow who sells outside court take an oath?
4. ChallengeWhy not ask about a public announcement too?
5. ResolutionNo doubt about an announcement; only the oath is in question
6. ProofProving from רב נחמן that a sale to others needs no announcement
7. RejectionThere was an announcement, but no one appraised it for her
8. StatementA man appraises orphans' coral for himself
9. Responseרבי אמי asks: Who appraised it for you?
10. ConclusionFinal ruling: an oath is needed, an announcement is not
11. StatementNew משנה: a widow who sells at a bad or good price
12. StatementSelling even one דינר too much cancels the sale
13. Statementרבן שמעון בן גמליאל: the sale stands unless the extra is a usable plot
14. StatementSeveral sales, and only the last one is underpriced
15. ChallengeWhy can't she keep the profit if she overcharged?
16. Resolutionרב נחמן begins his answer in the name of רבה בר אבוה