Ketubot 65 - September 9, 13 Elul

Today's daf is sponsored by Risa and Zev Gewurz in loving memory of Risa’s father, Rephael Ben Mordechai, Ralph Loebenberg, z”l on his 16th yahrzeit. 

If a husband is supporting his wife through a third party, they are not to provide her with wine. Support for this is brought from a verse about Chana (Shmuel 1 1:9). However, there are exceptions to this rule. A number of stories are brought of women who demanded wine, such as, Abaye's widow Choma who came to Rava's court to demand wine from the heirs, and accidentally revealed her arm, showing off her beauty. This led Rava to go back home to his wife desirous of her, but when his wife understood what had happened, she got angry at Choma and kicked her out of town. In addition to food, the husband also needs to provide his wife (when supporting through an agent), a bed, a soft mat and a hard mat. Why all three? There is a debate about whether he needs to provide her with a pillow and cushion. What is the root of the debate? Why does the woman get shoes three times a year and clothes only once? The amount of clothes is 50 zuz, but this amount refers to simple zuzim that are worth much less than the zuzim normally referred to in the Gemara (zuz tzuri). Leftover food belongs to the husband but leftover clothes belong to her - why? However, the law is different for a widow - why? According to the Mishna, even if the husband appoints someone to be in charge during the week, he eats with her on Friday night. Does "eat" mean food or having marital relations? A father needs to sustain one's children until the age of six as until that age, the child is considered an appendage of the mother and the husband needs to support the mother and therefore the child as well. Why? Can this be learned from the law in our Mishna regarding a nursing mother who is entitled to extra food - is it not for her child? No! It is for her as she needs to eat more since the nursing weakens her. The Mishna states that items a woman finds or salary she makes goes to her husband. Inherited property goes to her, but profits are his during his lifetime. There is a debate regarding payment of humiliation or damage caused to a woman - does she receive it all or does part go to her husband. Weren't most of these laws already taught in a Mishna in Chapter 4 (Ketubot 46b)?