Kiddushin 2a

קידושין ב׳ ע״א

Learn Kiddushin 2a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

How a woman becomes married (קידושין) and how the marriage bond ends, and the גמרא's opening question about the משנה's wording 'נקנית' (acquired)

Overview

The opening משנה of קידושין lists three ways a woman becomes betrothed (כסף, שטר, ביאה) and two ways she becomes free (גט, the husband's death). It records a מחלוקת between בית שמאי and בית הלל about the minimum amount of money, and defines a פרוטה as one eighth of an Italian איסר. It then gives the parallel rules for a יבמה: she is acquired only through ביאה and released through חליצה or the יבם's death. The גמרא asks why this משנה says 'a woman is acquired' when the next פרק says 'a man betroths.' It answers that the תנא wanted to teach money, which belongs to the language of buying. It then derives קידושי כסף through a גזירה שוה of 'קיחה' (taking) from אברהם's purchase of עפרון's field with money. Finally, it shows that the תורה calls that 'taking' an acquisition, 'קנה אברהם', which ties everything back to the משנה's word 'נקנית'.

Opening lines

The steps (9)

1. StatementThree ways to marry, two ways to be released
2. StatementHow much money is needed: דינר or פרוטה
3. StatementTwo ways out: divorce or the husband's death
4. StatementThe יבמה: how she is acquired and released
5. QuestionWhy does this משנה say 'acquired' and not 'betroths'?
6. ResponseBecause the משנה wants to teach money
7. QuestionWhere do we learn that money works for קידושין?
8. Response'Taking' and 'taking': learned from the field of עפרון
9. ProofThe taking of the field is called an acquisition