Talking Talmud

A woman on the verge of the second marriage who wants to keep her property from the clutches, as it were, of the new husband, and makes a gift of it to her unmarried daughter. Then the daughter gets married, the stuff goes to the husband, the daughter gets divorced, and the mother wants her property back. Can she get it back? R. Nachman tears up the document establishing the gift to the daughter....

Chapter 8! With a new mishnah, of course. On usufruct property that a wife brings into the marriage, and the husband has the right of the produce of the property. For example, when a woman inherits prior to her betrothal. But what happens if she's already betrothed? It's a machloket between Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai. Plus, an expressed discomfort with the halakhah as it's determined here. Plus,...

3 mishnayot on the daf! The first continues the discussion of blemishes - this time, if the husband develops blemishes, and a possible distinction between major and minor blemishes. Plus, description of an illness, and how they dealt with contagion and efforts at prevention, via both medical and spiritual efforts. Also, the story of R. Yehoshua Ben Levi, and his encounter with the Angel of Death....

More on the blemishes. Noting that people with blemishes did indeed get married - even when there was knowledge of them in advance. Plus, some classic Gemara discussion and logic on a husband's claim regarding a preexisting blemish, and why preexisting alone doesn't decide the case. Also, the transactional basis of these marriages - and two parallel cases to them: 1. Transferring ownership of anim...

Physical blemishes that can negate a betrothal - parallel to those of the kohanim and service in the Beit HaMikdash. Which is itself parallel, to some degree, to the animals that are disqualified from being offered as sacrifices. Including - for the woman - sweat, bad breath, moles, a large gap between her breasts, or larger breasts to begin with. Also, a mishnah on these blemishes and when they i...

How betrothal is brought into effect in expected (a ring) and unexpected ways - the benefit of forgiving a loan. Plus, the impact of sexual intimacy on the need for divorce. Also, the role of nedarim or blemishes as conditions in the betrothal. Which is where the chacham, a wise scholar, and a doctor might get involved to change the facts on the ground. Plus, protecting the integrity of the get.

A machloket between Rav and Shmuel on the previous mishnah: whether a conditional betrothal requires a get if the condition is not met. And the ramifications of those different approaches. Plus, several cases where it would seem clear that a get is not warranted - but that a get is required nonetheless. Possibly at a rabbinic level of requirement, which seems particularly difficult, as compared to...

A mishnah on the practices of Dat Moshe and Dat Yehudit, and defining them by their practices, in the context of a woman who violates either category, and can then be divorced with her ketubah. Also, another mishnah! Conditional betrothal, and the ramifications when the conditions are not met.

A puzzle of language. In the context of a discussion about the husband who vows in such a way that his wife is sworn off something to such a degree, and in an unspecified way, that they are supposed to divorce and she gets her ketubah. Namely, the idiom that kicks the oath into effect... Also, a new mishnah! On other vows that the husband might make for his wife - when the vow stands, for how long...

A new chapter, a new mishnah! If a man takes a vow that his wife won't get any benefit from him, they divorce and she gets the ketubah - with some dispute over the time frame. Likewise, if he swears her off eating from produce, they divorce, she gets the ketubah, and there's dispute over the timeframe. Likewise, a case where he swears her off adornment or perfume. Also, various parallel cases (Git...

A dispute and conversation between R. Yehudah HaNasi and Rav on the inheritance and transference of property - with an eye to dowries. Also, the right of a daughter to receive the dowry from the estate when she marries - is she an heir? Or is she a creditor? Plus, another story between R. Huna and a letter - on inheritance from elsewhere. And one final mishnah - using a third party to pay his daug...

The discussion of charity begins in Pe'ah, with a focus on how poor one must be to receive tzedakah, when the expectation is that one downgrade, and when one doesn't have to go that far. Plus, an underage girl who is married off by her mother or brothers can come back and collect the funds from her respective family members. Also, financial advisories for those who don't have money, but live as if...

A husband's requirement to provide clothing for his wife, even when her father has written her off. Also, stories illustrating these issues. Including those of Mar Ukva, plus [Who's Who: Mar Ukva] With a focus on inheritance, and how to do so in a dignified way.

A new chapter! A new mishnah! Which provides the text of the "equation" for what each spouse owes the other, including what funds paying back humiliation might come directly to the woman. Except that R. Yehudah Ben Beteira revises that position wholly. Which opens a good deal of discussion in the Gemara. Plus, a variety of humiliating practices that lead to compensatory payment. Also, adding condi...

To what extent do the provisions for a woman include wine? The answer seems to depend on whether she's accustomed to drinking wine - clearly, some women did drink and others did not. The implications of "too many" cups of wine for her behavior are presented rather dramatically. Plus, a story of Homa, Abaye's widow, who puts in the request with Rava for her wine, even though her husband wasn't accu...

More on wives deemed "rebellious." An assortment of rabbis needed to adjudicate a case of a moredet and whether she needs to give up her wardrobe. [What's What: Ika de-amrei] And the answer is not clear at all. Plus, the question of when the moredet can get divorced. Also, a mishnah on what it means to provide for a wife's food, including specifics about the kinds of foods and their amounts. Plus,...

Part of the famous story of Rabbi Akiva - the story of his years of Torah study and his wife's possibly surprising years of support. Also, a new mishnah: a woman who rebels against her husband (or a man who rebels against his wife) is penalized financially, with regard to the ketubah. What is the rebellion? It's a dispute whether she's refusing the marital bed or refusing to fulfill her responsibi...

A few disputes between Rav and R. Yochanan, including how a groan can break your whole body, and how that's a matter of the Jewish condition, in terms of perpetual anguish. Also, a man's obligation for the frequency of a wife's conjugal rights, depending on his profession. Plus, stories of sages who prioritized their studies over the families and the dramatic (and sometime dire) outcomes.

Dedicated in the memory of Dr. Dodi Tobin z"l. || A series of what amounts to recommendations by the sages for a healthy diet during pregnancy. Including how a mother's diet of etrogim made the child smell good, to the extent that the child was used to spice. Plus, more marriage politics around nursing, which are apparently eternal. Also, just how delectable all kinds of food, meat and wine and mu...

The Gemara discusses its understanding of some developmental milestones and explains how infants recognize their mothers. When can nursing mothers remarry?

A husband cannot consecrate a wife's earnings after all. How is this case parallel to swearing off the use of something? Is it really comparable to the terms of marriage? Also, shifting to what the woman has to provide in marriage - with great specificity. Plus, nursing.

What if a wedding is delayed and one of the couple is a kohen? What happens to the terumah and the woman's ability (or lack thereof) to eat from it? Also, a new mishnah: on whether a husband can consecrate his wife's earnings before she's earned them.

More on the chuppah, and the end of the marriage ceremony. Also, a new mishnah: preparation for the wedding and marriage could easily take a year in advance. Likewise, can he provide her mezonot from terumah? What happens when kohanim marry non-kohanim? Plus, the Gemara's study of the preparatory period prior to marriage as understood from the biblical Rivka. Also, the given here seems to be plann...

Reactions to R. Elazar ben Azariah's opinion regarding "umdana," assessment of intent, specifically with regard to the ketubah. Plus, the sages on the sages, specifically on their respective halakhic expertise. Plus, the focus on different scenarios of how those views might play out - including the emotions surrounding the wedding night... Which is normally, indeed, at night, even when the chuppah...

A new chapter (5), a new mishnah: on the value of the ketubah, and the possibility that the husband add to the baseline sums of 200 dinar for a virgin and 100 for a widow/divorcee. The question of whether she'd get that extra if they were only betrothed is a machloket. Also, the question of whom to follow in that machloket -- spoiler: R. Elazar ben Azariah, on his convincing presumption about the...