אֲבָל אִיתֵיהּ בְּמָתָא – לָא; דְּאָמְרִינַן: אֵימַר לָא אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ, דְּאָמְרִי: (אַשְׁכְּחִינְהוּ) [אַשְׁכְּחֵיהּ] שְׁלִיחָא דְּבֵית דִּין, וַאֲמַר לֵיהּ.
But if the defendant is in the city, the court does not ostracize him for failing to respond to a summons conveyed through a woman or a neighbor, as we say: Perhaps they did not tell him of the court’s summons, as they said to themselves: Since the defendant is in the city, a court agent has already found him and told him. As a result, these unofficial messengers will not deliver the court’s summons to the defendant at all.
וְלָא אֲמַרַן אֶלָּא דְּלָא חָלֵיף אַבָּבָא דְּבֵי דִּינָא, אֲבָל חָלֵיף אַבָּבָא דְּבֵי דִינָא – לָא; אָמְרִי: אַשְׁכְּחוּהּ בֵּי דִינָא, וְאָמְרִי לֵיהּ.
And similarly, we said that the court will ostracize one who does not respond to a summons conveyed through a woman or a neighbor only in a case where he does not pass by the court’s entrance on his way home, but if he does pass by the court’s entrance, the court does not ostracize him. This is because it is possible that the unofficial messengers will say to themselves: Since he passes by the courthouse, the court has already found him and told him.
וְלָא אֲמַרַן אֶלָּא דְּאָתֵי בְּיוֹמֵיהּ, אֲבָל לָא אָתֵי בְּיוֹמֵיהּ – לָא; אֵימָא אִישְׁתְּלוֹיֵי אִשְׁתְּלִי.
And furthermore, we said that the court will ostracize one who does not respond to a summons only in a case where he comes home on the same day that the woman or neighbor is sent to deliver the court summons. But if he does not come home on the same day, he is not ostracized, because it is possible to say that they forgot to notify him.
רַב אַסִּי אִיקְּלַע בֵּי רַב כָּהֲנָא. חֲזָא הָהִיא אִיתְּתָא דְּאַזְמְנַהּ לְדִינָא בְּפַנְיָא, וּבְצַפְרָא כְּתֻיב עֲלַהּ פְּתִיחָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ, לָא סָבַר לַהּ מָר לְהָא דְּאָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא: קוֹבְעִין זְמַן שֵׁנִי וַחֲמִישִׁי וְשֵׁנִי?
The Gemara relates that Rav Asi happened to come to the house of Rav Kahana. He saw that there was a certain woman whom Rav Kahana had summoned to appear in court in the evening, but she did not appear, and in the morning Rav Kahana wrote a document of ostracism concerning her. Rav Asi said to him: Does the Master not hold in accordance with that which Rav Ḥisda says, that the court sets a date for the coming Monday, and then Thursday, and then the following Monday before it issues a document of ostracism?
אֲמַר לֵיהּ: הָנֵי מִילֵּי גַּבְרָא, דַּאֲנִיס וְלֵיתֵיהּ בְּמָתָא; אֲבָל אִיתְּתָא, כֵּיוָן דְּאִיתַהּ בְּמָתָא וְלָא אָתְיָא – מוֹרֶדֶת הִיא.
Rav Kahana said to him: That matter applies only with regard to a man, as he is a victim of circumstance and is not always in the city due to his vocational activities. But in the case of a woman, since she is always in the city, when she does not come to court the first time she is immediately considered rebellious, and the court may issue a document of ostracism right away.
What you just saw is part of The Daf Reactions Project, where I share my daily practice of studying the Babylonian Talmud (Daf Yomi) from the viewpoint of a formerly Orthodox, now secular, Millennial feminist.
I'm Miriam Anzovin—a Jewish nerd, storyteller, and artist. My passion is putting this ancient discourse in direct communication with modern internet culture, pop culture, and current events.
These videos are my authentic reactions, with commentary that's both heartfelt and comedic, and always centers Jewish joy.
My profound gratitude to René Michel, for connecting all the Daf Reactions videos to Sefaria source sheets. To paraphrase Rabbi Tarfon in Pirkei Avot 2:16: It is not your responsibility to finish the work, but you should really try or René might have coded it already!!
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