Kiddushin 41a

קידושין מ״א ע״א

Learn Kiddushin 41a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Kiddushin 41a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

End of פרק האשה נקנית and the opening of האיש מקדש: doing קידושין in person or through a שליח, marrying off a daughter, and the Torah source for שליחות

Overview

The amud opens with the last lines of פרק האשה נקנית. An angry person gains nothing but his anger, a good person tastes the fruit of his deeds, and someone with no מקרא, no משנה and no דרך ארץ should be avoided. After the הדרן, the new פרק, האיש מקדש, begins with a משנה: a man or a woman can do קידושין personally or through a שליח, and a father can marry off his daughter who is a נערה. The גמרא asks why the משנה needs to say 'by himself.' רב יוסף answers that doing a מצוה yourself is better, like רב ספרא and רבא, who prepared their own food for שבת. A second version says a man using a שליח is actually forbidden, because רב rules that a man must see a woman before marrying her (ואהבת לרעך כמוך). In that version, רב יוסף's teaching applies only to the woman, who would rather be married than alone (ריש לקיש). The משנה's words 'when she is a נערה' support רב's ruling that a father should not marry off a קטנה. The גמרא then finds the source for שליחות in the פסוקים about a גט, and extends it to קידושין through the היקש of ויצאה and והיתה. The amud ends by bringing a משנה about a שליח separating תרומה; the question it sets up continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (18)

1. StatementAnger gets you nothing; goodness bears fruit
2. StatementStay away from someone with no Torah and no decent conduct
3. ConclusionHadran — Closing פרק האשה נקנית
4. Statementמשנה: betrothing in person or through an agent
5. ChallengeWhy mention 'by himself' at all?
6. ResolutionDoing the מצוה yourself is better
7. ProofExamples: רב ספרא and רבא prepared food themselves
8. StatementSecond version: a man using an agent is actually forbidden
9. ChallengeThe question moves to the woman's part of the משנה
10. Resolutionרב יוסף: it is a bigger מצוה for the woman herself
11. ResolutionWhy a woman using an agent is not forbidden
12. StatementReading the משנה: a father marries off a daughter who is a נערה
13. ProofThis supports רב: wait until she grows up and chooses
14. QuestionWhat is the source for agency?
15. ResponseAgency is learned from the verses about divorce
16. QuestionHow do we know agency works for betrothal?
17. ResponseThe verse links entering a marriage to leaving one
18. QuestionBringing up the משנה about an agent separating תרומה