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Text Excerpt
תשב עד שילבין ראשה. אדמון אומר: יכולה היא שתאמר: אילו אני פסקתי לעצמי — אשב עד שילבין ראשי, עכשיו שאבא פסק — מה אני יכולה לעשות? או כנוס, או פטור. אמר רבן גמליאל: רואה אני את דברי אדמון.
the betrothed woman can be left to sit unwed in her father’s house until her head turns white. If the groom does not wish to marry without a dowry he cannot be forced to do so, as the father failed to fulfill his promise. Admon says that she can say: Had I apportioned the money myself and broken my promise, I would agree to sit until my head turns white. However, now that my father was the one who apportioned the dowry, what can I do? Either marry me or release me by a bill of divorce. Rabban Gamliel said: I see as correct the statement of Admon.
גמ׳ מתניתין דלא כי האי תנא, דתניא: אמר רבי יוסי ברבי יהודה: לא נחלקו אדמון וחכמים על הפוסק מעות לחתנו ופשט לו את הרגל, שיכולה היא שתאמר: ״אבא פסק עלי, מה אני יכולה לעשות״.
Talmud: The Mishnah is not in accordance with the opinion of this tanna, as it is taught in the Tosefta (13:1) that R' Yosei, son of R' Yehuda, said: Admon and the Rabbis did not disagree with regard to one who promises and apportions money for his son-in-law as a dowry and subsequently went bankrupt, that the betrothed woman can say: My father apportioned money for me; what can I do?
על מה נחלקו — על שפסקה היא על עצמה. שחכמים אומרים: תשב עד שתלבין ראשה. אדמון אומר, יכולה היא שתאמר: כסבורה אני שאבא נותן עלי, ועכשיו שאין אבא נותן עלי — מה אני יכולה לעשות? או כנוס או פטור. אמר רבן גמליאל: רואה אני את דברי אדמון.
With regard to what did they disagree? It is with regard to a case where she apportioned money for herself, as the Rabbis say: Let her sit until her head turns white, as she did not fulfill her promise. However, Admon says that she can say: I thought that my father would give the money for me, and now that my father is not giving the money for me, what can I do? Either marry me or release me. And it is with regard to this case that Rabban Gamliel said: I see as correct the statement of Admon, as the betrothed woman has no money of her own, and she was clearly relying on her father to provide the dowry.