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Kiddushin 56a

קידושין נ״ו ע״א

Learn Kiddushin 56a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Using מעות מעשר שני to buy things or to make קידושין: when the deal takes effect, why רבי יהודה lets a deliberate קידושין work, and why a forbidden purchase isn't simply cancelled

Overview

This amud opens in the middle of a ברייתא about someone who uses מעות מעשר שני outside ירושלים to buy an animal for שלמים. The תנא קמא says a purchase made by mistake is cancelled and a deliberate one stands. רבי יהודה limits this: if the buyer was really trying to make the holy money ordinary, the purchase is always cancelled. The גמרא asks how this fits our משנה, where רבי יהודה says a deliberate קידושין with מעשר שני works. רבי אלעזר answers that a woman knows the money stays holy, so she accepts it planning to eat it in ירושלים. רבי ירמיה pushes back from the case of buying a non-kosher animal, slaves, or land with מעשר שני money. There people supposedly know the rule too, yet the buyer must eat food of equal value. The גמרא then narrows the answer: our משנה is about an אשה חבירה, who truly knows these laws. Finally the גמרא asks why, in that case of forbidden purchases, the sale isn't simply cancelled as in רבי יהודה's ruling. שמואל begins to answer, and his answer continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וְאִם לָקַח בְּשׁוֹגֵג –

And if he bought it unknowingly,

יַחְזְרוּ דָּמִים לִמְקוֹמָם.

the money returns to its place.

בְּמֵזִיד – תַּעֲלֶה וְתֵאָכֵל בַּמָּקוֹם.

If he did it on purpose, it is brought up and eaten in the place.

אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה:

Rabbi Yehuda said:

The steps (8)

  1. StatementBuying a peace-offering animal with second-tithe money: unknowing versus deliberate
  2. Statementרבי יהודה limits the ruling to someone who really meant to buy a peace-offering
  3. ChallengeContradiction from רבי יהודה's view in our משנה
  4. Resolutionרבי אלעזר: the woman knows the money stays holy
  5. Challengeרבי ירמיה: people also know the rule for non-kosher animals, slaves and land
  6. ResolutionThe משנה is about an אשה חבירה who really knows the law
  7. ChallengeWhy not cancel the sale and return the money?
  8. Resolutionשמואל begins his answer