Study Ketubot folio 7B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
מיתיבי: מברכין לבתולה שבעה ולאלמנה יום אחד. מאי לאו, אפילו אלמנה שנשאת לבחור! לא, לאלמון. אבל לבחור מאי, שבעה? אי הכי ליתני: מברכין לבתולה שבעה, ולאלמנה שנשאת לבחור שבעה, ולאלמנה יום אחד?
The Talmud raises an objection from a baraita: One recites a benediction for a virgin who marries for 7 days and for a widow who marries for one day. What, is it not even in the case of a widow who is married to a bachelor, that one recites the benediction for one day? The Talmud answers: No, it is only in the case of a widow who is married to a widower that the benediction is recited for one day. The Talmud asks: However, one may then infer that in the case of a widow who is married to a bachelor, what is the halakha? The blessing is recited 7 days? If so, let the tanna teach the baraita: One recites a benediction for a virgin who marries for 7 days, and for a widow who marries a bachelor 7 days, and for a widow marrying a widower for one day. Why was the middle case omitted?
Although the tanna could have included that case in the baraita, he taught categorical matters. He preferred to avoid entering into detail, as there is no virgin for whom the benediction is recited fewer than 7 days, and there is no widow for whom the benediction is recited for less than one day. However, there are circumstances where even for a widow the benediction is recited for more than one day.
גופא, אמר רב נחמן: אמר לי הונא בר נתן, תנא: מנין לברכת חתנים בעשרה — שנאמר: ״ויקח עשרה אנשים מזקני העיר ויאמר שבו פה״. ורבי אבהו אמר, מהכא: ״במקהלות ברכו אלהים ה׳ ממקור ישראל״.
§ Apropos the source for the benediction of the grooms, the Talmud discusses the matter itself. Rav Naḥman said: Huna bar Natan said to me that it was taught: From where is it derived that the benediction of the grooms is recited in a quorum of 10 men? It is as it is stated: “And he took 10 men of the Elders of the city and said: Sit you here, and they sat” (Ruth 4:2). And R' Abbahu said that the source is from here: “In assemblies [mak’helot], bless God, YHWH, from the source of Israel” (Psalms 68:27). This verse indicates that a congregation [kahal], which contains at least 10 men, blesses God when reciting a benediction related to the source of Israel, i.e., sex, which will lead to the birth of Jewish children.