Commentary for Kiddushin 11:9
אמרי לעולם במדבר עמה על עסקי גיטה וקידושיה ואי דיהיב לה ושתיק ה"נ הב"ע דיהב לה ואמר לה בהני לישני
For it was taught: If one declares, 'Thou art taken by me,' she is betrothed, for it is written, when a man taketh a wife.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXIV, 1. ,prjb');"><sup>13</sup></span> The Scholars propounded: What of 'Thou art my harufah [betrothed]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Lev. XIX, 20: That is a bondmaid, betrothed ( neherefeth=harufah) ; this really applies to a bondmaid designated for her master.');"><sup>14</sup></span>
Daf Shevui to Kiddushin
The Talmud answers that if he said nothing, and they were talking about betrothal, then they would be married. But since he used one of these confusing formulas, she might not have understood what she was saying yes to—maybe she was agreeing to work for him. Therefore, they are considered of doubtful validity. In such a case the couple would either need to redo to betrothal or get divorced.
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