Kiddushin 23

לא ס"ד דומיא דייעוד מה ייעוד אע"ג דאי בעי מייעד ואי בעי לא מייעד כל היכא דלא מצי מייעד לא הוו זבינא זביני ה"נ כל היכא דלא מצי מיגרעא לא הוו זבינא זביני

- You cannot think so, [for] it is similar to designation:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' sugh or sughh, the betrothal of a Hebrew handmaid to her master or his son in virtue of having been bought, no other than the purchase money being necessary.');">¹</span> just as designation, though he [the master] can designate her or not, as he will, yet where he may not designate her, the sale is invalid;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., she cannot be sold, e.g., to her brother, since she may not be designated to him.');">²</span> so here too, where he cannot deduct, the sale is invalid.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since Scripture teaches that a deduction is made, the sale must be capable of one.');">³</span>

וקידושי אשה לב"ש נפקא להו מאמה העבריה מה אמה העבריה בפרוטה לא מקניא אף אשה בפרוטה לא מיקדשא

And a woman's kiddushin, according to Beth Shammai, is deduced from a Hebrew maidservant: just as a Hebrew maidservant cannot be acquired for a perutah,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As just proved.');">⁴</span> so a woman cannot be betrothed by a perutah.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos.');">⁵</span> Then say half a denar, or two perutahs? - Since a perutah was excluded, it was fixed at a denar.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the exclusion of a perutah shews that a sum of considerable value is required.');">⁶</span>

ואימא פלגא דדינר ואימא שתי פרוטות כיון דאפיקתיה מפרוטה אוקמה אדינר

Raba said: This is Beth Shammai's reason, [viz. ,] that the daughters of Israel should not be treated as hefker.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos., which is acquired without much trouble; thus to acquire a woman by merely a perutah would be derogatory to her status.');">⁷</span> AND BETH HILLEL RULE, BY A PERUTAH. R'Joseph thought to rule, A perutah, whatever it is.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' No matter how it is debased in the course of time, providing that it is called a perutah.');">⁸</span>

רבא אמר היינו טעמא דב"ש שלא יהו בנות ישראל כהפקר :

Said Abaye to him: But thereon we learnt: AND HOW MUCH IS A PERUTAH? AN EIGHTH OF AN ITALIAN ISSAR'And should you answer: That was only in the time of Moses, but nowadays it is as generally estimated - but when R'Dimi came,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To Babylon. R. Dimi was a fourth century Amora of Palestine, who settled in Babylon on account of Constantine's decree of banishment against the Jewish teachers of Palestine. But even before this scholars regularly travelled to and fro between the Palestine and the Babylonian academies, and R. Dimi and Rabin (i.e., R. Abin) were specially designated for this task, to provide a cultural link between the two. I. Halevy, Doroth, II, 467-473.');">⁹</span> he said: R'Simai computed in his time: how much is the perutah?

וב"ה אומרים בפרוטה : סבר רב יוסף למימר פרוטה כל דהו א"ל אביי והא עלה קתני כמה היא פרוטה אחד משמנה באיסר האיטלקי

An eighth of an Italian issar.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A woman having been betrothed for a perutah, he stated that it must be equal to an eighth of an Italian issar, and was not satisfied with the mere designation of a perutah.');">¹⁰</span> And when Rabin came, he said: R'Dosethai, R'Jannai and R'Oshiah estimated: how much is a perutah? A sixth of an Italian issar! - R'Joseph answered him: If so,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the perutah must not be less than this.');">¹¹</span>

וכ"ת ה"מ בדורו של משה אבל הכא כדחשבה להו לאינשי והא כי אתא רב דימי אמר שיער רבי סימאי בדורו כמה היא פרוטה אחד משמנה באיסר האיטלקי וכי אתא רבין אמר רבי דוסתאי ורבי ינאי ורבי אושעיא שיערו כמה הוי פרוטה אחד מששה באיסר האיטלקי

when we learnt,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the Sifra, a Midrashic commentary on Leviticus, also called 'The Law of the priests.'');">¹²</span> Go out and estimate: how many perutahs are there in two sela's? More than two thousand.

א"ל רב יוסף אי הכי היינו דתנינא צא וחשוב כמה פרוטות בשני סלעים יותר מאלפים השתא אלפים לא הויין יתר מאלפים קרי להו אמר להו ההוא סבא אנא תנינא לה קרוב לאלפים סוף סוף אלפא וחמש מאה ותלתין ושיתא הוא דהויין כיון דנפקא להו מפלגא קרוב לאלפים קרי ליה

Seeing that there are not even two thousand, can he [the Tanna] call it more than two thousand?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The table is given below.');">¹³</span> Thereupon a certain old man said to him, I learnt it, close on two thousand. But even so, it is only one-thousand-five-hundred-thirty-six! - Since it passes beyond half [a thousand], it is called close on two thousand.

גופא כי אתא רב דימי אמר שיער ר' סימאי בדורו כמה היא פרוטה אחד משמנה באיסר האיטלקי וכי אתא רבין אמר שיערו ר' דוסתאי ורבי ינאי ור' אושעיא כמה היא פרוטה אחד מששה באיסר האיטלקי אמר ליה אביי לרב דימי נימא את ורבין בפלוגתא דהני תנאי קא מיפלגיתו

It was just stated: When R'Dimi came, he said: R'Simai computed in his time, How much is a perutah? An eighth of an Italian issar. And when Rabin came, he said: R'Dosethai, R'Jannai, and R'Oshiah estimated: How much is the perutah?

דתניא פרוטה שאמרו חכמים אחד משמנה באיסר האיטלקי שש מעה כסף דינר מעה שני פונדיונין פונדיון שני איסרין איסר שני מוסמיסים מסמס שני קונטרונקין קונטרנק שתי פרוטות נמצא פרוטה אחת משמנה באיסר האיטלקי

A sixth of an Italian issar. Said Abaye to R'Dimi: Shall we say that you and Rabin differ in the dispute of the following Tannaim? For it was taught: The perutah which the Sages mentioned is an eighth of an Italian issar.

רבן שמעון בן גמליאל אומר שלשה הדרסין למעה שני הנצין להדריס שני שמנין להנץ ב' פרוטות לשמין נמצא פרוטה אחת מששה באיסר האיטלקי לימא דמר אמר כת"ק ורבין דאמר כרשב"ג

[Thus:] one denar =six silver ma'ahs; one ma'ah =two pundion, one pundion = two issars, one issar = two musmis, one musmis = two kuntrunk, one kuntrunk =two perutahs.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' These are Roman coins, the names being corrupted. Kuntrunk.< quadrans (**) , a Roman value equal to three Roman ounces, also called terunicius; musmis or messimis< semissis = 1/2 as; pundion< dupundium = two ases.');">¹⁴</span> Hence the perutah is an eighth of an Italian [Roman] issar. R'Simeon B'Gamaliel said: three hadrisin = one ma'ah, two hanzin = one hadris, two shamnin = one hanez, two peutahs = one shamin:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hadris is perhaps a corruption of darosah = 1 3/4 as; hanez< nez (blossom) ; shamnim< shamin (Heb. hbhna, shemini - an eighth) 1/8 of an Italian issar. [For a full discussion of these terms, v. Krauss, TA, pp. 408ff.]');">¹⁵</span>

א"ל בין דידי ובין רבין אליבא דת"ק ולא קשיא הא דאיקור איסורי הא דזול איסורי הא דאיקור איסורי קום עשרים וארבע בזוזא הא דזול קום תלתין ותרין בזוזא

hence a perutah equals one sixth of an Italian issar.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the issar = 1/2 4th denar; now one denar = six ma'ahs = a hundred and forty-four perutahs, according to his table; therefore one perutah - 1/6th issar.');">¹⁶</span> Shall we say that you agree with the first Tanna, whilst Rabin holds with R'Simeon B'Gamaliel? - He replied: Both Rabin and I agree with the first Tanna, yet there is no difficulty: here the issar bears its full value; there, it had depreciated. Here the issar bears its full value, twenty-four going to the zuz; there it had depreciated, thirty-two going to the zuz.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus one denar = a hundred and ninety-two perutahs, in accordance with the first Tanna. The perutah remained stable, but the issar fluctuated. In R. Simai's age the issar was at par, i.e., twenty-four =one denar: therefore one perutah = 1/8th issar. But in the age of R. Dosethai etc., it had slumped to 1/3 2nd of a denar, therefore one perutah =1/6th of an issar.');">¹⁷</span>

אמר שמואל קידשה בתמרה אפילו עומד כור תמרים בדינר מקודשת חיישינן שמא שוה פרוטה במדי

Samuel said: If a man betrothed a woman<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'her'.');">¹⁸</span> with a date, even if a kor<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A measure of capacity; v. J.E. XII, 489, Table 3.');">¹⁹</span> stood at a denar,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that one date is worth far less than a perutah.');">²⁰</span>

והא אנן תנן ב"ה אומרים בפרוטה ובשוה פרוטה לא קשיא הא בקידושי ודאי הא בקידושי ספק

she is nevertheless betrothed: we fear that it may be worth a perutah in Media.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Where dates were very dear. Or perhaps Media is mentioned as an example of elsewhere.');">²¹</span> But we learnt: BETH HILLEL RULE, BY A PERUTAH OR THE WORTH OF A PERUTAH?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And in Samuel's view anything may be worth a perutah somewhere.');">²²</span> - There is no difficulty: the one refers to certain kiddushin; the other to doubtful kiddushin.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the article is worth a perutah where it is given, the woman is certainly betrothed, and another man's betrothal is invalid. But if it is not worth a perutah there, she is in a position of doubt: she cannot be free without a divorce, yet should another betroth her before she is divorced, his act may be valid, and she then requires a divorce from both, being in the meantime forbidden to both and to everyone else.');">²³</span>

ההוא גברא דאקדיש בזוודא דאורדי יתיב רב שימי בר חייא קמיה דרב וקא מעיין בה אי אית בה שוה פרוטה אין אי לא לא ואי לית בה שוה פרוטה לא והאמר שמואל חיישינן לא קשיא הא בקידושי ודאי הא בקידושי ספק

A certain man betrothed [a woman] with a bundle of tow cotton. Now, R'Simi B'Hiyya sat before Rab and examined it: if worth a perutah, it is well:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The betrothal is valid.');">²⁴</span> if not, not.

ההוא גברא דאקדיש באבנא דכוחלא יתיב רב חסדא וקא משער ליה אי אית ביה שוה פרוטה אין ואי לא לא ואי לית ביה שוה פרוטה לא והא אמר שמואל חיישינן רב חסדא לא סבר ליה דשמואל

Now, if not worth a perutah, it is not well? But Samuel said: 'We fear [etc.]'! - There is no difficulty: in the former case it is certain kiddushin; in the latt doubtful kiddushin. A certain man betrothed [a woman] with a black marble stone.

אמרה ליה אימיה והא ההוא יומא דקדשה הוה ביה שוה פרוטה אמר לה לאו כל כמינך דאסרת לה אבתרא

Now, R'Hisda was sitting and appraising it: if worth a perutah, it is well;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The kiddushin is valid.');">²⁵</span> if not, not. Now, if not worth a perutah, it is not well? But Samuel said: 'We fear [etc.]'! - R'Hisda did not accept Samuel's [view]. Said his mother to him: But on the day he betrothed her it was worth a perutah!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Though by the time you came to value it, it had depreciated.');">²⁶</span> It does not rest entirely with you, replied he, to render her forbidden to the other man.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To whom one had, in the meantime, become betrothed. I.e., your evidence cannot be accepted.');">²⁷</span>