{"id":11040,"date":"2007-09-06T21:55:00","date_gmt":"2007-09-06T21:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/production.ou.org\/life\/other\/masechet_ketubot_612\/"},"modified":"2015-10-27T10:07:29","modified_gmt":"2015-10-27T15:07:29","slug":"masechet_ketubot_612","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_ketubot_612\/","title":{"rendered":"Masechet Ketubot 6a-12b"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>The Coming Week&#8217;s Daf Yomi by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>This essay is based upon the insights and chidushim (original ideas) of Talmudic scholar Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, as published in the Hebrew version of the Steinsaltz Edition of the Talmud.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><b> This month\u2019s Steinsaltz Daf Yomi is sponsored by\u00a0Dr. and Mrs. Alan Harris,\u00a0The Lewy Family Foundation, and\u00a0Marilyn and Edward Kaplan<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" dir=\"LTR\" style=\"direction: &lt;br \/&gt;ltr; unicode-bidi: embed;\">\n<div style=\"mso-element: para-border-div; border: none; border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; &lt;br \/&gt;mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;\">\n<div style=\"mso-element: para-border-div; border: none; border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; &lt;br \/&gt;mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;\">\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Ketubot 6a-b<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\">Today&#8217;s <em>daf <\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">discusses the classic case of a <\/span><em>mesokhria d&#8217;naizyata<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> \u2013 a stopper made of cloth \u2013 that cannot be used to close a wine barrel on <\/span><em><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yom_Tov\">Yom Tov<\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">. The prohibition stems from the fact that when the stopper is tightened it will invariably squeeze out some of the liquid, and squeezing liquid out of cloth is forbidden on <\/span><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/s.htm#shabbat\">Shabbat<\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> and <\/span><em>Yom Tov<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\"><span style=\"color: black;\">Although it is taken for granted that squeezing liquid out of cloth is forbidden on <em>Shabbat<\/em><\/span><span style=\"color: black;\">, the exact source of this prohibition is unclear. It appears that <em>sohet<\/em><\/span><span style=\"color: black;\"> \u2013 squeezing \u2013 is most likely a <em>toldah \u2013 <\/em><\/span><span style=\"color: black;\">a derivative \u2013 of one of the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/chagim\/shabbat\/thirtynine.htm\">39 activities<\/a> forbidden on <em>Shabbat<\/em><\/span><span style=\"color: black;\">, specifically:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: black;\"><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/chagim\/shabbat\/thirtynine.htm#18\">Dash<\/a><\/em><\/span><span style=\"color: black;\"> (threshing), or <em>mefarek<\/em><\/span><span style=\"color: black;\">, which involves removing desirable contents from a peel or covering that is unnecessary or unwanted,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: black;\"><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/chagim\/shabbat\/thirtynine.htm#8\">Melaben<\/a> <\/em><\/span><span style=\"color: black;\">(whitening), when squeezing out the liquid is part of a washing process, or<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: black;\"><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/chagim\/shabbat\/thirtynine.htm#26\">Tzove&#8217;ah<\/a><\/em><\/span><span style=\"color: black;\"> (coloring), when squeezing out the liquid leaves the cloth a different color.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\"><span style=\"color: black;\">The <em>Sho&#8217;el\u00a0<\/em><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><i>U&#8217;Meishiv<\/i>\u00a0suggests an interesting proof that the prohibition on squeezing is not derived from <\/span><em style=\"color: black;\">mefarek<\/em><span style=\"color: black;\">. The case presented in our <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#gemara\">Gemara<\/a> refers specifically to the activity being performed on <em>Yom Tov<\/em><\/span><span style=\"color: black;\">, when, unlike on <em>Shabbat<\/em><\/span><span style=\"color: black;\">, activities done for the purpose of food preparation are permitted. Thus the prohibition must stem from either <em>melaben<\/em><\/span><span style=\"color: black;\"> or <em>tzove&#8217;ah<\/em><\/span><span style=\"color: black;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\"><span style=\"color: black;\">The <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=106&amp;letter=N\">Arukh<\/a><\/em><\/span><span style=\"color: black;\"> presents an entirely different approach to this Gemara, one that is apparently a tradition dating back to the time of the <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#gaon\">Ge&#8217;onim<\/a><\/em><\/span><span style=\"color: black;\">. According to this approach, the <\/span><em>mesokhria d&#8217;naizyata<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> is not a cloth stopper, but a wooden piece that acts as a cover to an opening in the side of the wine barrel. Thus, the concern is not one of squeezing, but rather an issue of possible <\/span><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/chagim\/shabbat\/thirtynine.htm#31\">boneh<\/a><\/em><span style=\"color: black; font-style: normal;\"> \u2013 building. For all that the individual&#8217;s intent is to keep the wine from leaking out of the barrel, nevertheless by securing the cover on the barrel, he is effectively completing the side of the barrel, which would be forbidden on <\/span><span style=\"color: black;\"><em>Shabbat<\/em><\/span><span style=\"color: black;\"> and <em>Yom Tov<\/em><\/span><span style=\"color: black;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Ketubot 7a-b<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\">Today&#8217;s <em>daf <\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">continues the discussion of activities that are permitted or forbidden on <\/span><em><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yom_Tov\">Yom Tov<\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">. As we have learned, activities that are essential for food preparation (e.g. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/chagim\/shabbat\/thirtynine.htm#7\">cooking<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/chagim\/shabbat\/thirtynine.htm#23\">kneading<\/a>) are permitted on <\/span><em>Yom Tov<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">, even though they are prohibited on <\/span><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/s.htm#shabbat\">Shabbat<\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">. This is based on a passage in <\/span><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/s.htm#sefer\">Sefer<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/s.htm#shemot\">Shemot<\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.mechon-mamre.org\/p\/pt\/pt0212.htm#16\">12:16<\/a>), which clearly forbids work on the holiday, but permits those activities that are needed to prepare food. Our <span style=\"color: black;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#gemara\">Gemara<\/a> <\/span>suggests that this rule can also be extended to other situations \u2013 <\/span><em>mi-tokh she-hutrah letzorekh, hutrah nami she-lo le-tzorekh<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> \u2013 that is to say, once a specific activity is permitted on <\/span><em>Yom Tov<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> for cooking, we may rule that it is permitted even in situations when the activity is done for reasons other than cooking. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\">In general, the question of whether certain activities are permitted on <em>Yom Tov<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> \u2013 even if they are not directly connected with food preparation \u2013 is a disagreement between Bet <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=549&amp;letter=S\">Shammai<\/a> and Bet <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=730&amp;letter=H\">Hillel<\/a> in <\/span><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#masechet\">Masechet<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.steinsaltz.org\/dynamic\/DafYomi_details.asp?Id=427\">Beitzah<\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.steinsaltz.org\/dynamic\/DafYomi_details.asp?id=438\"><em>daf<\/em> 12<\/a>). Both <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/bc.htm#baaleitosafot\">Tosafot<\/a> and the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=859&amp;letter=A\">Rashba<\/a> point out, however, that even according to Bet Hillel, who permit food preparation activities in other settings, we do not have blanket permission to do those activities. Only if they are necessary for <\/span><em>Yom Tov <\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">will they be permitted. Furthermore, the Gemara makes it clear that if the activity is not universally perceived as being necessary, it will remain forbidden.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=53&amp;letter=P\">Rav Papa<\/a> gives an example of something that not everyone feels is essential for <em>Yom Tov<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">: <\/span><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.steinsaltz.org\/dynamic\/content.asp?id=194\">mugmar<\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">.\u00a0 This burning incense was used to perfume clothing or a dwelling-place. A clay or metal vessel held the incense, whose vapor would rise up through holes in the cover, or, in some cases, once the incense was heated, the cover was removed to allow the smoke to rise. <\/span><em>Mugmar<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> was only used in wealthy homes, and even in such homes it was a matter of personal taste; this clearly explains Rav Papa&#8217;s presentation of it as a <\/span><em>davar she&#8217;eino shaveh le-khol nefesh<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> \u2013 something that is not universally desired or required.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Ketubot 8a-b<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\">Our <span style=\"color: black;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#gemara\">Gemara<\/a><\/span> discusses the seven blessings that are made at a Jewish wedding, and also recited afterwards.\u00a0 For the entire week after the wedding, celebratory meals in honor of the bride and the groom are accompanied by <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/s.htm#shevaberachot\">sheva berakhot<\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> \u2013 a series of seven unique blessings that are added to <\/span><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/bc.htm#birchathamazon\">birkat ha-mazon<\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">, the grace after meals. These blessings include statements that welcome the wedding guests, recall the creation of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=758&amp;letter=A\">Adam<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=527&amp;letter=E\">Chava<\/a> (the first couple in the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=39&amp;letter=E\">Garden of Eden<\/a>), mention the consolation of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/yerushalayim.htm\">Jerusalem<\/a> (based on the passage in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/tw.htm#tehilim\">Tehillim<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mechon-mamre.org\/p\/pt\/pt26d7.htm#6\">137:6<\/a>), and finally wish the new couple well at their wedding and their future endeavors. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\">It is interesting to note that the Gemara describes situations where six blessings were recited, even though the special blessings have been referred to in Rabbinic literature as <em>sheva\u00a0<\/em><i>brachot<\/i>\u00a0\u2013 seven blessings \u2013 since before the time of the <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/r.htm#rishon\">rishonim<\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">. It is clear that, already in the time of the <\/span><span style=\"color: black;\"><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#gaon\">Ge&#8217;onim<\/a><\/em><\/span><em>,<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> the blessing of <\/span><em>borei peri ha-gafen<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> on a cup of wine was added to the special wedding blessings, which would, indeed, create a set of seven <\/span><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/bc.htm#beracha\">berakhot<\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">. The\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #0000ee;\"><i><u>Rokeach<\/u><\/i><\/span>\u00a0brings proofs from the <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/tw.htm#yerushalmi\">Talmud Yerushalmi<\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> that seem to support the idea that the blessing over a cup of wine was part-and-parcel of the wedding ceremony. Other sources (<\/span><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=1438&amp;letter=A\">Siddur Rav Amram Ga&#8217;on<\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">, for example) suggest that an additional blessing was made over a <\/span><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=1032&amp;letter=M\">hadas<\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> (myrtle leaves) as part of the ceremony.\u00a0 There are also opinions which seemingly indicate that it was common practice to recite both a <\/span><em>borei peri ha-gafen<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> on a cup of wine and a <\/span><em>borei minei besamim<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> on a <\/span><em>hadas<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> during the wedding ceremony.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\">In his <em>Sefer ha-Yashar<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=74&amp;letter=J\">Rabbenu Tam<\/a> deals with this question differently. As we have learned, it is common practice today to combine the <\/span><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/jl.htm#kiddushin\">kiddushin<\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> (betrothal) and <\/span><em>nissu&#8217;in<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> (marriage) in one ceremony under a <\/span><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/bc.htm#chupah\">huppah<\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">. Thus, the blessing that is made on the betrothal, along with the six marriage blessings, comprise the <\/span><em>sheva berakhot<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Ketubot 9a-b<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\">Our <span style=\"color: black;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#gemara\">Gemara<\/a> <\/span>describes an adulterous relationship that would lead to a wife becoming forbidden to her husband as one that is similar to <em>ma&#8217;aseh she-hayah<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> \u2013 &#8220;the event that took place.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=210&amp;letter=H\">Rabbenu Chananel<\/a> writes that there was a long-standing tradition to identify this <em>ma&#8217;aseh she-hayah<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> with the story of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#david\">King David<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=425&amp;letter=B\">Bat-Sheva<\/a> (see II <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=131&amp;letter=S\">Shmuel<\/a>, chapters <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mechon-mamre.org\/p\/pt\/pt08b11.htm\">11<\/a>&#8211;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.mechon-mamre.org\/p\/pt\/pt08b12.htm\">12<\/a>), and this tradition is accepted by all of the commentaries on the Gemara. They explain that, out of respect for King David, the story is referred to obliquely rather than in a straightforward manner.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\">The obvious question here, however, is that it appears from the story that Bat-Sheva becomes forbidden to neither her husband <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=48&amp;letter=U\">Uriah<\/a>, nor to King David! By way of explanation, the Gemara brings a teaching of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=184&amp;letter=S\">Rav Shmu&#8217;el bar Nahmani<\/a> in the name of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=357&amp;letter=J\">Rabbi Yohanan<\/a>, which says that every soldier who went off to battle in King David&#8217;s army would first write a <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=200&amp;letter=G\">get<\/a> keritut<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> \u2013 a divorce document \u2013 to his wife.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/rashi.htm\">Rashi<\/a> explains that these divorces were conditional; they were to take effect retroactively only if the soldier were to die in battle.\u00a0 The purpose of the divorce was to save the widow from the need to deal with issues of <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=293&amp;letter=L\">yibum<\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> (levirate marriage) or <\/span><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=137&amp;letter=H\">halitzah<\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">. Although this appears to limit the effect of the divorce to a very narrow range of people, it is likely that we should understand Rashi as referring more broadly to any case where the soldier does not return at the end of the war, including situations where the soldier is captured or goes missing. This explanation, which is offered by the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=910&amp;letter=M\">Ramban<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/bc.htm#baaleitosafot\">Tosafot<\/a>, would apply to any woman who would then be saved from being an <\/span><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=926&amp;letter=A\">agunah<\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> \u2013 a woman &#8220;anchored&#8221; to a missing husband \u2013 by means of this <\/span><em>get<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">. <\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Ketubot 10a-b<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\">The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#mishna\">Mishnah<\/a> teaches that the <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=187&amp;letter=K\">ketubah<\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> of an <\/span><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=152&amp;letter=W\">almanah<\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> (widow) guarantees the sum of a <\/span><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=81&amp;letter=W#227\">maneh<\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> (100 <\/span><em><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Denarius\">dinars<\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">), while that of a <\/span><em>betulah<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> (virgin) is 200 <\/span><em>dinar<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">. In searching for the etymology of the term <\/span><em>almanah<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">, Rav Hana Bagdata&#8217;ah suggests that it stems from the <\/span><em>maneh<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> that a widow receives.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\">In typical <span style=\"color: black;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#gemara\">Gemara<\/a> fashion<\/span>, this statement segues into other statements made by this sage, Rav Hana Bagdata&#8217;ah. In one of them, he teaches of the virtues of eating dates: dates warm a person, satiate him, act as a laxative and strengthen, but they do not make him delicate.\u00a0This discussion includes other opinions on this subject, as well. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=127&amp;letter=A\">Rav<\/a> teaches that if one has eaten dates, he should not give legal decisions. The Gemara explains that this is because dates are similar to wine, which can be intoxicating. Another position is presented by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=120&amp;letter=A\">Abayye<\/a>, who quotes his mother as teaching him that dates are problematic before a meal, but they are good to eat after a meal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\">Dates are very high in calories \u2013 about 270 calories per 100 grams of dried dates, most of which are sugars that are easily digested. This gives dates both the qualities of satiation and warming. The high fiber content of dates is what gives them the quality of a laxative. The advice to avoid eating dates before the meal stems from the fact that they give a sense of being full, thus limiting one&#8217;s appetite. For the same reason they are ideal at the end of a meal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\">Eating a large amount of highly concentrated sugar-heavy foods raises the sugar level in the blood, which can lead to dizziness and drowsiness \u2013 similar to the effects of alcohol consumption. This is probably the source for the ruling that someone who eats dates should not offer legal decisions.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Ketubot 11a-b<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\">Our <span style=\"color: black;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#gemara\">Gemara<\/a><\/span> focuses on the question of a convert, and specifically of a child who is brought before the <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/bc.htm#beitdin\">bet din<\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> to convert. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=963&amp;letter=H\">Rav Huna<\/a> teaches that the Jewish courts will accept a child as a convert, although Rav Yosef adds that when such a convert reaches maturity, he or she will have the option of rejecting Judaism. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\">Under what circumstances will the court actually convert a minor?<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\">The Gemara offers one straightforward case \u2013 when a father comes before the court to convert and brings his children to convert, as well. In such a case, we assume that children are inclined to accept their father&#8217;s choices for them. In other cases, we work with the assumption that becoming Jewish is ultimately a benefit for the individual, and <em>bet din<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> will convert the child based on the rule that something which is beneficial can be done on another person&#8217;s behalf, even without his\/her knowledge.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/rashi.htm\">Rashi<\/a> suggests that the case under discussion is one in which the family has no father and the child&#8217;s mother is bringing him before the court for conversion. Other <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/r.htm#rishon\">rishonim<\/a> <\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">object to this reading of the Gemara, arguing that this is the same case as the one where a father brings his child to the <\/span><em>bet din<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">; there is really no reason to distinguish between a mother and a father in such cases. The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/rabbis\/ritva.htm\">Ritva<\/a> suggests that the case is where the parents bring their child to convert even though they have no intention of converting themselves. Others understand the case to be where a child \u2013 one who has clearly reached the age of understanding even though he is still a minor \u2013 appears before the Jewish court on his own. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\">According to all of these opinions, it appears that Jewish courts will consider converting a child who is brought before them or comes on his own. Under no circumstances, however, will <em>bet din<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> initiate such proceedings on their own. There is an opinion brought by the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=309&amp;letter=N\">Ran<\/a>, however, that if the court acted on its own initiative, the conversion will be acceptable <\/span><em>bedi&#8217;avad <\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">(<\/span><em>ex post facto<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">)<\/span><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Ketubot 12a-b<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\">As we have learned, during <a href=\"http:\/\/www.steinsaltz.org\/dynamic\/content.asp?id=50\">Talmudic<\/a> times it was common practice for the <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/jl.htm#kiddushin\">kiddushin<\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> (betrothal) to take place a full year before the <\/span><em>nissu&#8217;in<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> (marriage). Our <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#mishna\">Mishnah<\/a> teaches that in <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Judea\">Yehudah<\/a> \u2013 the southern part of Israel \u2013 it was not unusual to allow the bride and groom to become intimate prior to the <\/span><em>nissu&#8217;in<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">, and that in such cases the groom could not claim at the time of the <\/span><em>nissu&#8217;in<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> that his wife was not a virgin (as we have learned \u2013 see <a href=\"http:\/\/www.steinsaltz.org\/dynamic\/DafYomi_details.asp?Id=744\">2a<\/a> \u2013 such a claim would need to be brought before the <\/span><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/bc.htm#beitdin\">bet din<\/a> <\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">to clarify whether adultery may have taken place).<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\">The <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/tw.htm#yerushalmi\">Talmud Yerushalmi<\/a> <\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">offers an explanation for the tradition of Yehudah that is quoted by many of the commentaries on our <span style=\"color: black;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#gemara\">Gemara<\/a><\/span>. As we learned earlier in <\/span><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#masechet\">Masechet<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.steinsaltz.org\/dynamic\/DafYomi_details.asp?Id=743\">Ketubot<\/a><\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.steinsaltz.org\/dynamic\/DafYomi_details.asp?Id=745\">3a<\/a>), during the times of the Mishnah there was a governmental decree stating that <\/span><em>betula ha-niset be-yom ha-revi&#8217;i, tiba&#8217;el la-hegmon tehilah<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> &#8211; &#8220;any virgin marrying on Wednesdays will first be deflowered by the prefect.&#8221; \u00a0In order to ensure that the couple would develop a healthy marital relationship \u2013 and that the wife would not have her first sexual experience at the hands of a Roman prefect \u2013 the man and woman were encouraged to develop a close relationship even before the completion of the marriage ceremony. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=405&amp;letter=J\">Rabbenu Yehonatan<\/a> adds that once the prefect realized that the Jewish women were no longer virgins at the time of their weddings, the edict was no longer kept and it fell into disuse.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\">What is clear from all of the <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/r.htm#rishon\">rishonim<\/a> <\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\">is that for all that the Mishnah uses a term of modesty &#8220;when one eats at his father-in-law&#8217;s home in Yehudah,&#8221; the bride and groom actually engaged in a physical \u2013 and perhaps even sexual \u2013 relationship. The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/rabbis\/meiri.htm\">Me&#8217;iri<\/a> writes that this relationship, which was, in effect, consummation of their marriage, was often celebrated with a festive meal, which is the reference in the Mishnah to a meal at the father-in-law&#8217;s house. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"left\">The <em>Talmud Yerushalmi<\/em><span style=\"font-style: normal;\"> concludes by saying that this Judean tradition remained, even after the governmental edict ended.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em>In addition to his monumental translation and commentary on the Talmud, Rabbi Steinsaltz has authored dozens of books and hundreds of articles on a variety of topics, both Jewish and secular. For more information about Rabbi Steinsaltz&#8217;s groundbreaking work in Jewish education, visit <a href=\"www.steinsaltz.org\">www.steinsaltz.org<\/a> or contact the Aleph Society at 212-840-1166.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Coming Week&#8217;s Daf Yomi by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz This essay is based upon the insights and chidushim (original ideas) of Talmudic scholar Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, as published in the Hebrew version of the Steinsaltz Edition of the Talmud. This month\u2019s Steinsaltz Daf Yomi is sponsored by\u00a0Dr. and Mrs. Alan Harris,\u00a0The Lewy Family Foundation, and\u00a0Marilyn<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":125,"featured_media":42185,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[83],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-torah","series-steinsaltz-daf-yomi"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Masechet Ketubot 6a-12b - OU Life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Coming Week&#039;s Daf Yomi (Ketubot 35a-40b) by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, based upon insights &amp; chidushim published in the Steinsaltz edition of the Talmud\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_ketubot_612\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Masechet Ketubot 6a-12b - OU Life\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Coming Week&#039;s Daf Yomi (Ketubot 35a-40b) by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, based upon insights &amp; chidushim published in the Steinsaltz edition of the Talmud\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_ketubot_612\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"OU Life\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2007-09-06T21:55:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2015-10-27T15:07:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/Ketubah.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"881\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1167\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"12 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_ketubot_612\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_ketubot_612\/\",\"name\":\"Masechet Ketubot 6a-12b - 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