טו רבא אמר כולי עלמא ללעז לא חיישינן והכא בחוששין לכבודן של ראשונים קמיפלגי והב"ע כגון דאיכניף בי עשרין ותלתא למידן דיני נפשות ואיבדור ואמר להו דיינו לי מיהא דיני ממונות
15 REQUIRES A COURT OF TWENTY-THREE, etc. But, even though it may lead to capital punishment, what does it matter? [Since there are no witnesses yet known to be available, to corroborate the husband's suspicion, is it not merely a monetary case, involving only the <i>Kethubah</i>]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The marriage contract containing, among other things, the settlement on the wife of a minimum of two hundred zuz if she was a virgin, and a hundred zuz if she was not a virgin at marriage. This amount, payable on her husband's death, or on her being divorced, the woman forfeits on a charge of infidelity committed during her betrothed state. (See Keth. 10b, and Rashi and Tosaf. a.l.). ');"><sup>24</sup></span> 'Ulla says that the point of dispute [in the Mishnah between R. Meir and the Sages] is whether we consider seriously the effect of the husband's allegation.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'gossip'. As soon as the charge is made before the Court, the report might be bruited, and witnesses, of whom the husband may be at the moment unaware, may come to support it, the charge thus becoming capital. ');"><sup>25</sup></span> R. Meir does not consider seriously the effect of the allegation — while the Rabbis do. Raba says that all agree that the effect of the allegation need not be seriously considered.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And in the absence of witnesses three judges alone are sufficient. ');"><sup>26</sup></span> They differ, however, as to whether [in cases where the judges have been reduced in number]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. infra. ');"><sup>27</sup></span> the honour of those who retired has to be considered or not. The actual case treated here is where the husband — [having had expectations of supporting his allegation with evidence,] appeared before a court of twenty-three<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As is required for a capital case. ');"><sup>28</sup></span> assembled to judge a capital case. Afterwards, [when he could not produce the required witnesses,] the Court began to disperse, and he then appealed to it that three should remain to decide his monetary claim.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The husband's allegation of non-virginity is accepted by the rabbis even without evidence, in respect of the Kethubah. v. Keth. 10a. ');"><sup>29</sup></span> [The Sages, in order to protect the dignity of those judges who would have left, require them to reassemble, while R. Meir does not hold this view.]