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Text Excerpt
מזונות תחת מעשה ידיה, ומעה כסף תחת מותר, וכיון דלא קא יהיב לה מעה כסף — מותר דידה הוי. רב אדא בר אהבה סבר: תקנו מזונות תחת מותר, ומעה כסף תחת מעשה ידיה, וכיון דקא יהיב לה מזוני, מותר דידיה הוי.
sustenance in exchange for her earnings, and the silver ma’a coin that he must give her in exchange for the surplus that she continues to make beyond her quota. And since he does not give her a silver ma’a the surplus is hers, unless some of it is left after her death, in which case the husband inherits it. Rav Adda bar Ahava maintains that they established sustenance in exchange for the surplus, and a silver ma’a in exchange for her earnings. And since he provides her with sustenance, the surplus is his, and therefore the sanctity takes effect on it immediately when she produces the surplus.
במאי קמיפלגי? מר סבר: מידי דשכיח ממידי דשכיח. ומר סבר: מידי דקייץ ממידי דקייץ.
The Talmud asks: With regard to what do they disagree? The Talmud explains: One Sage, i.e., Rav and Shmuel, holds that they established something common in exchange for something common. Consequently, they established sustenance, which is common, in exchange for earnings, which are also common. And one Sage, Rav Adda bar Ahava, holds that they established something with a fixed amount in exchange for something with a fixed amount. Consequently, since a silver ma’a is a fixed amount and the quota of a woman’s earnings is also fixed, they established one in exchange for the other.
מיתיבי: תקנו מזונות תחת מעשה ידיה! אימא: תחת מותר מעשה ידיה.
The Talmud raises an objection to Rav Adda bar Ahava’s opinion from a baraita: They established sustenance in exchange for her earnings. Apparently, sustenance is not in exchange for the surplus. The Talmud answers by emending the text of the baraita: Say: They established sustenance in exchange for the surplus of her earnings.