Study Ketubot folio 48A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
רבי אליעזר בן יעקב אומר: ״שארה כסותה״ — לפום שארה תן כסותה, שלא יתן לה לא של ילדה לזקינה, ולא של זקינה לילדה. ״כסותה ועונתה״ — לפום עונתה תן כסותה, שלא יתן חדשים בימות החמה, ולא שחקים בימות הגשמים.
R' Eliezer ben Ya’akov says that she’era and kesuta should be interpreted as follows: In accordance with her flesh [she’era], i.e., her age, give her clothing [kesuta]. This means that he should not give the garments of a young girl to an elderly woman, nor those of an elderly woman to a young girl. Similarly, kesuta and onata are linked: In accordance with the time of year [onata], give her clothing [kesuta], meaning that he should not give new, heavy clothes in the summer, nor worn-out garments in the winter, i.e., the winter, when she requires heavier, warmer clothes. The entire phrase, therefore, refers only to a husband’s obligation to provide clothing for his wife.
תני רב יוסף: ״שארה״ — זו קרוב בשר, שלא ינהג בה מנהג פרסיים שמשמשין מטותיהן בלבושיהן. מסייע ליה לרב הונא, דאמר רב הונא: האומר ״אי אפשי אלא אני בבגדי והיא בבגדה״ — יוציא ונותן כתובה.
Rav Yosef taught the following baraita: “She’era,” this is referring to closeness of flesh during sex, which teaches that he should not treat her in the manner of Persians, who have sex in their clothes. The Talmud comments: This baraita supports the opinion of Rav Huna, as Rav Huna said: With regard to one who says: I do not want to have sex with my wife unless I am in my clothes and she is in her clothes, he must divorce his wife and give her the payment for her marriage contract. This is in keeping with the opinion of the tanna of the baraita that the Torah mandates the intimacy of flesh during sex.
רבי יהודה אומר: אפילו עני שבישראל וכו׳. מכלל דתנא קמא סבר הני לא. היכי דמי? אי דאורחה — מאי טעמא דתנא קמא דאמר לא? ואי דלאו אורחה — מאי טעמא דרבי יהודה?
§ The Mishnah teaches that R' Yehuda says: Even the poorest man of the Jewish people may not provide fewer than two flutes and a lamenting woman for his wife’s funeral. The Talmud infers: This proves by inference that the first, anonymous tanna cited in the Mishnah holds that these are not part of a husband’s obligations. The Talmud asks: What are the circumstances? If this is the common custom in her family at funerals, what is the reason for the opinion of the first tanna who said that he does not have to do so? If he neglected to provide these items he would be treating her with disrespect. And if this is not the common custom in her family, what is the reason for the opinion of R' Yehuda?