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Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Kethuboth

Folio 10a

It was stated: Rab Nahman said [that] Samuel said in the name of R. Simeon b. Eleazar: The scholars ordained for the daughters of Israel [as follows]: for a maiden two hundred [zuz1] and for a widow a maneh2  [one hundred zuz].3  And they trusted him, so that when he said, 'I have found an open opening', he is believed.4  If so, what have the Sages accomplished with their ordinance?5  — Said Raba: The presumption is [that] no one will take the trouble of preparing a [wedding-]feast and will then spoil it.6  One has taught: Since it7  is a fine [instituted] by the sages she8  shall collect only from the worst land9  [of the husband's estate]. [You say] a fine! Why a fine?10  — Say then: since it is an ordinance of the sages,11  she shall collect only from the worst land [of the husband's estate]. Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel says: The kethubah of a wife is from the Torah.12  But did Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel say so? Surely it has been taught: [It is written in the Torah] He shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins;13  [this teaches us that] this14  is [as much] as the dowry of the virgins15  and the dowry of the virgins is [as much] as this.16  But,17  the Sages found a support for [the rule that] the kethubah of a wife is from the Torah. Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel Says: The kethubah of a wife is not from the words of the Bible, but from the words of the Soferim!18  — Reverse it.19  And why does it appear to you right to reverse20  the latter [teaching]? Reverse the former [teaching]!21  — We have [already] heard that R. Simeon the son of Gamaliel said that the kethubah is from the Bible, for we learnt: Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel says: He22  gives her23  [the kethubah] in Cappadocian coins.24  And if you wish, you may say: The whole of it25  is [according to] Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel. only26  it is defective27  and it teaches thus:28  Here the Sages found a support for [the rule that] the kethubah of a wife is from the Torah. The kethubah of a widow [however] is not from the words of the Torah but from the words of the Soferim, for Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel Says: The kethubah of a widow is not from the words of the Torah but from the words of the Soferim.29

Someone came before R. Nahman [and] said to him: I have found an open opening.30  R. Nahman answered:31  Lash him with palm-switches; harlots32  lie prostrate before him.33  But it is R. Nahman who said that he [the husband] is believed!34  — He is believed, but [at the same time] one lashes him with palm-switches. R. Ahai answered: Here35  [it speaks] of a young man,36  there [it speaks] of one who was married before.37

Some one came before Rabban Gamaliel [and] said to him, I have found an 'open opening'. He [Rabban Gamaliel] answered him: Perhaps you moved aside.38  I will give you an illustration: To what is this like? To a man who was walking in the deep darkness of the night39  [and came to his house and found the door locked];40  if he moves aside [the bolt41  of the door] he finds it open, if he does not move aside [the bolt of the door] he finds it locked. Some say [that] he [R. Gamaliel] answered him thus: Perhaps you moved aside wilfully42  and you tore away the door and the bar.43  I will give you an illustration: To what is this like? To a man who was walking in the deep darkness of the night [and came to his house and found the door locked]; if he moves aside [the bolt of the door] wilfully44  he finds it open, if he does