פרק שני: מיסוד הזוגיות צדדים משפטיים סוגיה 6- דרכי הקידושין

(1) Before the giving of the Torah, it would be that if a man happened upon a woman in the marketplace and they wanted to marry each other, he would bring her into his house and consummate the marriage between them privately, and she would be his wife. Once the Torah was given, Israel was commanded that if a man wanted to marry a woman, he would acquire her first through witnesses, and afterwards she would be his wife, as it says, "When a man takes a woman and comes (sleeps with) to her..." (Deuteronomy 22:13).

(2) And taking a wife as such is a positive commandment of the Torah. And a woman is acquired through three means: money, a contract, or through intercourse. Marriage through intercourse and by contract is from the Torah, and by money is Rabbinical [lit. "the words of the Scribes"]. And this acquisition is what is called "Kiddushin" or "Eirusin" in several places. And a woman who is acquired through one of these three means is called a "Mekudeshet" or "Meureset".

(1) A woman is acquired in three ways, and she acquires herself in two ways. She is acquired through money, through a document, or through sexual intercourse. Through money: Beit Shammai say, "With a dinar [a specific unit of money] or with the equivalent value of a dinar." And Beit Hillel say, "With a perutah or with the equivalent value of a perutah." How much is a perutah? One eighth of an Italian issar [a specific unit of money equal to one twenty-fourth of a dinar]. And she acquires herself through a bill of divorce or through the death of the husband. A yevamah [a widow whose brother-in-law performed levirate marriage with her] is acquired through sexual intercourse, and acquires herself through chalitzah [the ceremony performed by the widow of a childless man as an alternative way to release herself from the obligation to wait for levirate marriage] or through the death of the yavam [one upon whom has fallen the obligation to perform levirate marriage].

(2) A Hebrew slave is acquired through money or through a document, and acquires himself through years [of service], through the Jubilee Year, or through prorated monetary [payment]. A Hebrew maidservant has an advantage over him, in that she acquires herself through [physical] signs [of puberty]. [A slave] who [has his ear] pierced is acquired through [the] piercing, and acquires himself through the Jubilee Year or with the death of the master.

(3) A Canaanite slave is acquired through money, through a document or through chazakah [a presumption of ownership, generally regarding landed property, established by unchallenged, publically known possession for a certain period of time, together with a legally acceptable claim regarding how the property came into the possessor’s hands]. And he acquires himself through money by a third party or through a document by himself. These are the word of Rabbi Meir. And the Sages say, "Through money by himself and through a document by a third party, providing that the money be from a third party.

(4) A large animal is acquired through transfer [of the reins], and a small animal through lifting [it]; these are the words of Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Elazar. The Sages say, "A small animal is acquired through pulling [it]."

(5) Mortgaged property is acquired through money, through a document, or through chazakah; and non-mortgaged [property] is acquired only through pulling [it]. Property which is non-mortgaged can be acquired along with mortgaged property through money, through a document or through chazakah; and that which is non-mortgaged can, [by association,] bind [itself to] that which is mortgaged [to force one] to take an oath regarding [that property].

(6) Anything that is used as currency for something else, once this [party to the transaction] takes possession [of it], this [other party] is obligated in its exchange. How so? If one exchanges a bull for a cow, or a donkey for a bull, once this one takes possession, this one is obligated for its exchange [i.e., the animal he agreed to exchange for it]. The Temple authority [acquires directly] through money, and the lay authority [acquires] through chazakah. A verbal statement [declaring an object as belonging] to the Temple [authority] is like [physical] transfer to the lay [authority].

(7) [With regard to] all commandments of the son which are [incumbent] upon the father, men are obligated, and women are exempt. And [with regard to] all commandments of the father which are [incumbent] upon the son, both men and women are obligated. And [with regard to] every positive commandment that is time-dependent, men are obligated and women are exempt. And [with regard to] every positive commandment which is not time-dependent, both men and women are obligated. And [with regard to] every negative commandment, whether it is time-dependent or it is not time-dependent, both men and women are obligated, except for: "You shall not round off [the corners of your head]" (Leviticus 19:27), "You shall not destroy [the corners of your beard]" (ibid.), and "You shall not become ritually impure for the dead" (Leviticus 21:1).

(8) The leanings, and the wavings, and the presentations, and the kemitsot [individual handfuls of the meal offering, which the priest takes to be put on the altar], and the incense offerings, and the melikot [instances of utilizing a slaughtering method used for bird sacrifices, employing the thumbnail instead of a knife], and the sprinklings, and the collections of blood are practiced by men, but not by women, except for the meal-offering of the sotah and of the female Nazirite, that they wave [them].

(9) Any commandment which is dependent on the Land [of Israel] only applies in the Land. And any commandment which is not dependent on the Land applies both in the Land and outside the Land, except for orlah [the fruit of a tree during the first three years after its planting, the consumption or usage of which is forbidden] and kilayim [the prohibition of planting together certain plants]. And Rabbi Eliezer says, "Also chadash [grain from the current year that one is forbidden to eat until after the sixteenth of Nissan]"

(10) Anyone who performs a single commandment is bestowed with goodness, his days are lengthened, and he inherits the Land. And anyone who does not perform a single commandment is not bestowed with goodness, his days are not lengthened, and he does not inherit the Land. Anyone who is [involved in] Scripture, the Oral Law, and proper social behavior will not easily [come to] sin, as it is stated, "And the three-ply cord is not quickly severed" (Ecclesiastes 4:12). Anyone who is not [involved in] Scripture, and not in the Oral Law, and not in proper social behavior is not part of civilization.

(4) The woman is betrothed in 3 ways; with money, a document or with intimate relations, as learned from the Torah, but our sages prohibited betrothal by having relations because of impropriety, and if they transgressed this and he betrothed her with relations, he receives rabbinically decreed whiplashes and she is still betrothed. Even if he betrothed her with money or with a document and they did not arrange the marriage agreement beforehand or he betrothed her in the market place, he receives rabbinically decreed whiplashes and she is still betrothed. Rem"a: There are those who say that we don't give whiplashes if he betrothed her with money or a document, even in the market and without any arrangement and in my life, I never saw someone given whiplashes for becoming betrothed without arrangement.