Mishnah Ketubot Greatest Hits

(2) Rabbi Yehoshua agrees that if one says to his fellow, "This field belonged to your father, and I bought it from him," he is believed [and the field belongs to him], because the [same] mouth that prohibited [it to him by admitting that the field once belonged to someone else also] permitted [it]. But if there are witnesses that [the field] belonged to the father, and he [the present holder] says, "I bought it from him," he is not believed.

(3) Witnesses who state, "This [signature] is [in] our handwriting; but, we were forced," or "we were minors," or "we were legally disqualified witnesses," they are believed. But if there are [other] witnesses [who testify] that it is their handwriting, or if [proof that it is] their handwriting comes out of another source, they are not believed.

(7) And similarly [is the case with] two men. This one says, "I am a kohen," and this one [also] says, "I am a kohen," neither of them is believed. But when they testimony on behalf of each other, they are believed.

(10) These [men] are believed to testify, upon growing up, to what they saw while children. A man is believed to say, "This is the handwriting of my father;" "this is my teacher's handwriting;" [or] "this is my brother's handwriting;" [or] "I remember that a certain woman went out [to be married] in a henuma , and with her hair loosened," [or] "that so and so left the school to bathe and eat teruma [A portion of a crop given to a Kohen which becomes holy upon separation, and can only be consumed by Kohanim or their household], and that he partook with us on the threshing floor;" [or] "that this place is a beit hapras [a field in which a grave has been plowed over]‎" [or] "until this [spot] did we go on Shabbat." But a man is not believed to say, "So and so had a right of thoroughfare in this place;" [nor] "So and so had [rights to] a place for the escorting of mourners and for eulogies in this place."

(4) The father has authority over his daughter with regard to betrothal, [whether it be effected] with money, with a contract, or with intercourse. He is [also] entitled to what she finds, to her earnings, and to the annulment of her vows. He [also] accepts her divorce document [on her behalf]. [However,] he does not enjoy the usufruct [of her inherited property] during her lifetime. If she gets married, the husband has the advantage over [the father], inasmuch as he does enjoy the usufruct [of her inherited property] during her lifetime. But he is obligated to [provide] her food, her ransom [in case of her being in captivity], and her burial. Rabbi Yehudah says, "Even the poorest man in Israel should not have fewer than two mourning flutes, and one lamenting woman [at the funeral of his wife]."

(7) If [the husband] has not signed a ketubah for her, a virgin [bride] receives 200 dinar [a specific unit of money], and a widow [receives] a maneh [100 dinar], as that is a [fixed] stipulation [enacted] by the court. If he has signed over to her a field worth 100 zuz [a synonym for a dinar], instead of the 200 zuz, [even if] he did not write the words, "All my other possessions are pledged for your ketubah," he is [nevertheless] obligated, as that is a [fixed] stipulation [enacted] by the court.

(10) If he did not write [in her ketubah], "The male children that you will have with me shall inherit the amount of your ketubah over and above their equal shares [of inheritance] with their brethren," he is, [nonetheless], obligated [in that condition], as that is a [fixed] stipulation [enacted] by the court.

(11) If he did not write [in her ketubah], "The female children that you will have with me shall live in my house, and be fed out of my property, until they are betrothed by men," he is, [nonetheless] obligated, as that is a [fixed] stipulation [enacted] by the court.

(12) [If he did not write in her ketubah], "You shall live in my house, and be fed out of my property, as long as you remain a widow in my house," he is, [nonetheless], obligated is [nevertheless] in force, as that is a [fixed] stipulation [enacted] by the court. [The above] is what the men of Jerusalem would write [in their ketubot]. The men of the Galilee would write like the men of Jerusalem. [however,] the men of Judea would write "[You shall live in my house, and be fed out of my property] until the heirs want to give you [the amount of] your ketubah." Therefore, if the heirs want, they [may] give her [the amount of] her ketubah, and dismiss her.

(2) We give a virgin twelve months from [the time] the husband proposed [marriage] to her, to provide for herself. And just as we give the woman [twelve months time], we also give the man [twelve months] to provide for himself. And for a widow, [the time allowed is] thirty days. If the appointed time came, and they did not [yet] marry, [any of these women] may eat from his [property], and [if he is a kohen] she may eat terumah [A portion of a crop given to a kohen which becomes holy upon separation, and can only be consumed by kohanim or their household]. Rabbi Tarfon says, "They may give her all [her food in] terumah." Rabbi Akiva says, "Half non-holy food, and half terumah."

(6) One who, by vow, interdicts his wife from intercourse, Beit Shammai say, [she must wait] two weeks. Beit Hillel say one week. Students who leave for the purpose of studying Torah without the consent of their wives [have] thirty days; laborers, one week. [The law of providing sexual] pleasure [to one's wife] that is stated in the Torah [is as follows]: one at leisure, daily; laborers, twice a week; donkey drivers, once a week; camel drivers, once every thirty days; navigators every six months; these are the words of Rabbi Eliezer.

(7) [With regard to a wife] who rebels against her husband, we reduce her ketubah by seven dinar [a specific unit of money] every week. Rabbi Yehudah says "[By] seven tarpe'ikin [a unit of money worth half a dinar]." Until when does [the husband continue to] reduce [it]? Until [it reaches] the value her ketubah. Rabbi Yossi says, "He continues to reduce, perhaps inheritance will fall to her from another source, [and] he can collect from it." Similarly, [with regard to a husband] who rebels against his wife, we increase her ketubah by three dinar every week. Rabbi Yehudah says "[By] three tarpe'ikin."

(8) One who provides for his wife through a third party, he may not [provide] her with less than two kav [a specific unit of volume] of wheat or four kav of barley [a week]. Rabbi Yossi said, "Only Rabbi Yishmael, who resided near Edom, apportioned [this double allowance of] barley. And he must give her half a kav of beans, half a log [a specific unit of volume] of oil, a kav of dried figs, or a maneh [the weight of 100 dinar] pressed figs. And if he doesn't have [these], he apportions a corresponding amount of fruits of another type. And he must provide her with a bed, a mattress, and a reed mat. He must also give her a kerchief for her head, a girdle for her loins, and shoes every festival, and clothing [valued] at fifty zuz [a secific unit of money] every year. He must not give her new garments in the summer season nor worn-out ones in the rainy season; rather, he must give her clothing [valued] at fifty zuz in the rainy season, so that she wears the worn-out ones in the summer season. And the worn-out ones [from the previous year] belong to her.

(9) He must give her [an allowance of] a ma'ah [a specific unit of money] of silver for her [weekly] needs, and she eats with him every Shabbat eve. And if he does not give her a ma'ah of silver for her [weekly] needs, her handiwork [earnings] belong to her. What [amount of work] must she do for him? Five selah weight [of spun wool] for warp in Judea, which are [equal to] ten selah in the Galilee; or ten selah weight for woof in Judea, which are [equal to] twenty selah in the Galilee. If she was nursing, we reduce the [required] quantity of her handiwork, and and we increase the amount of food [with which she is provided]. About whom are the [above conditions] speaking? About the poor in Israel. However, with regard to a person of honor [and social status], everything is according to his honor.

(2) If one agrees to pay money [as dowry] to his [future] son-in-law, and his son-in-law dies, the Sages say, "He may say [to the brother of the deceased, who will perform levirate marriage], "To your brother I wanted to give [the money], but to you I do not intend to give it."

(5) One who marries off his daughter plainly [without any stipulation as to dowry] may not give her less than fifty zuz. If [the father] stipulated that [the husband] is to marry her without clothing [as part of her dowry], the husband may not say, "When I bring her into my house I will cover her with my garments." Rather, he must clothe her while she is still in her father's house. Similarly, one who marries off an orphan may not give her less than fifty zuz. And if there is [sufficient means] in the [charity] box [from which she is being provided for], we provide her [with an outfit] in accordance with her honor.

(6) [With regard to] an orphan who was married off by her mother or her brothers with her consent, and they had written [i.e, assigned a dowry] for her a hundred or fifty zuz, when she comes of age she may recover from them whatever is her due. Rabbi Yehudah says, "If [the father] had married off the first daughter, [the dowry should be] given to the second [daughter] in the same manner as he had given to the first." The Sages say, "Sometimes a man was poor and became rich, or was rich and became poor; rather, we appraise the property [the father left], and we give her [her fair share].

(7) If a person entrusts another with money for [to purchase a field or a dowry for] his daughter, and she says, "I trust my [future] husband, [so give me the money]," the trustee must [nevertheless] act in accordance with [set of the instructions] that was entrusted to him. These are the words of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yossi says, "And if [what he gives her now] is merely a field which she wants to sell, it is [as though] it is already sold." With regard to what were these words stated? With regard to an adult woman; but with regard to a minor, the actions of a minor are meaningless.

(1) [With regard to] one who vows [to prohibit] his wife from benefiting from him, up to thirty days, he must appoint an administrator [to provide for her needs]. More than that he must divorce her and pay [the amount of] her ketubah [monetary settlement payable to a woman upon divorce or the death of her husband]. Rabbi Yehudah says, "With [regard to] an Israelite, [for] one month he may maintain her [as a wife], [but] two , he must divorce her and pay [the amount of] her ketubah. With [regard to] a kohenet, [for] two [months] he may maintain her, [but] three, he must divorce her and pay her ketubah.

(2) One who vows [to prohibit] his wife from tasting one [particular] kind of fruit, must [at once] divorce her and pay her ketubah. Rabbi Yehudah says, "With [regard to] an Israelite, [if the vow is for] one day, he may maintain her [as a wife], [but] two, he must divorce her and pay her ketubah. With [regard to] a kohenet, for two [days], he may maintain her, [but] three, he must divorce her and pay her ketubah."

(4) [With regard to] one who vows [to prohibit] his wife from entering her father's house, when the father [resides] with her in the [same] town, [then if the vow extends to] one month, he may maintain her [as a wife]; [but] two, he must divorce her and pay her ketubah. But when the father [resides] in another town, [if the vow extends to] one festival, he may maintain her; [but] three, he must divorce her and pay her ketubah.

(5) One who vows [to prohibit] his wife from entering a house of mourning or a house of feasting [i.e., a wedding feast], must divorce her and pay her ketubah, because he is locking [the doors of comfort and rejoicing] in her face. But if he claims [that there is a good reason for keeping the vow], he is permitted [to remain married to her]. If he says to her, "[I will annul your vow only] on condition that you tell So and So what you said to me" or " that which I said to you," or that she must fill [a given number of buckets of water] and pour [them] on a garbage dump, he must divorce her and pay her ketubah.

(6) The following women are divorced, and do not receive [the amount of] their ketubah: One who violates Mosaic Law or Jewish custom. What constitutes [a violation of] Mosaic Law? If she feeds him untithed [food]; if she engages in intercourse with him while she was a niddah [a female who has menstrual discharges which render her impure]; if she does not set apart challah[a portion of a batch of bread dough given to a kohen which becomes holy upon separation, and can only be consumed by kohanim or their household]; and if she makes vows, but does not fulfill [them]. What constitutes [a violation of] Jewish custom? [If] she goes out [in public] with her hair uncovered; [if] she spins [thread] in the market, and converses [flirtatiously] with any man. Abba Saul says, "Also one who curses his children in his presence." Rabbi Tarfon says, "[Also] a noisy woman." What constitutes a noisy woman? One who speaks in her own house [so loudly] that her neighbors can hear her voice.

(10) And these [are the cases in which] they compel him to divorce [his wife]: one stricken with leprosy; or one afflicted with polypus; or one who gathers dogs’ dung; or a copper-smelter; or a tanner. Whether [these circumstances] existed before they were married or after they were married. And with regard to them all, Rabbi Meir said, "Even though he stipulated with her [in advance], she may say, 'I thought I could accept it, but now [I realize that] I cannot.'" But the Sages say, "She must accept it against her will, except for one smitten with leprosy, because [intercourse will] enervate him. It happened at Sidon, that a certain tanner died, and he had a brother who [also] was a tanner. The Sages said, "[The wife] may say, 'For your brother I could accept it, but for you I cannot accept it.'"

(1) [With regard to] one who marries a woman, and she makes an agreement with him that he will provide her daughter food for five years, he is obligated to provide her with food for the five years. [If he divorces his wife, and] she marries another [man], and she makes an agreement with him [as well] that he will provide her daughter with food for five years, he is [also] obligated to provide her with food for the five years. The first [husband] may not say, "When she comes to me I will provide her with food;" rather, he must bring her food to the place where her mother is. And similarly, the two [husbands] may not say, "We will jointly provide her with food;" rather, one provides her with food, and [the other] one gives her the monetary value of her food.

(2) If [the daughter] marries [during the five-year period], her husband provides her food and they [each] give the monetary value of her food. If they die, their own daughters are provided food from their unencumbered property [i.e., that which is in the possession of the heirs]. But she is provided with food [even] from mortgaged property [that has been sold], because she is like a creditor. Prudent men said, "On condition that I provide your daughter with food for five years, as long as you are living with me."

(4) As long as she is in her father's house, she may collect her ketubah [monetary settlement payable to a woman upon divorce or the death of her husband] forever; as long as she [remains] in her husband's house, she is may collect her ketubah for [only] twenty-five years, as in the twenty-five years there is enough good [that she will have performed] to equal [the amount of] her ketubah. These are the words of Rabbi Meir, who said [them] in the name of Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel. And the Sages say, "As long as she is in her husband's house, she may collect her ketubah forever; as long as she is in her father's house, she may collect her ketubah for [only] twenty-five years. If she dies, her heirs may mention [i.e., claim, the amount of] her ketubah for twenty five years."

(3) Witnesses who state, "This [signature] is [in] our handwriting; but, we were forced," or "we were minors," or "we were legally disqualified witnesses," they are believed. But if there are [other] witnesses [who testify] that it is their handwriting, or if [proof that it is] their handwriting comes out of another source, they are not believed.

(4) As long as she is in her father's house, she may collect her ketubah [monetary settlement payable to a woman upon divorce or the death of her husband] forever; as long as she [remains] in her husband's house, she is may collect her ketubah for [only] twenty-five years, as in the twenty-five years there is enough good [that she will have performed] to equal [the amount of] her ketubah. These are the words of Rabbi Meir, who said [them] in the name of Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel. And the Sages say, "As long as she is in her husband's house, she may collect her ketubah forever; as long as she is in her father's house, she may collect her ketubah for [only] twenty-five years. If she dies, her heirs may mention [i.e., claim, the amount of] her ketubah for twenty five years."