Marriage Chapter 8

הָאוֹמֵר לְאִשָּׁה הֲרֵי אַתְּ מְקֻדֶּשֶׁת לִי בְּכוֹס זֶה שֶׁל יַיִן וְנִמְצָא שֶׁל דְּבַשׁ. שֶׁל דְּבַשׁ וְנִמְצָא שֶׁל יַיִן. בְּדִינָר זֶה שֶׁל כֶּסֶף וְנִמְצָא שֶׁל זָהָב. שֶׁל זָהָב וְנִמְצָא שֶׁל כֶּסֶף. עַל מְנָת שֶׁאֲנִי כֹּהֵן וְנִמְצָא לֵוִי. לֵוִי וְנִמְצָא כֹּהֵן. נָתִין וְנִמְצָא מַמְזֵר. מַמְזֵר וְנִמְצָא נָתִין. בֶּן עִיר וְנִמְצָא בֶּן כְּרַךְ. בֶּן כְּרַךְ וְנִמְצָא בֶּן עִיר. עַל מְנָת שֶׁאֲנִי עָנִי וְנִמְצָא עָשִׁיר. עָשִׁיר וְנִמְצָא עָנִי. עַל מְנָת שֶׁבֵּיתִי קָרוֹב לַמֶּרְחָץ וְנִמְצָא רָחוֹק. רָחוֹק וְנִמְצָא קָרוֹב. עַל מְנָת שֶׁיֵּשׁ לִי שִׁפְחָה אוֹ בַּת גּוֹדֶלֶת אוֹ אוֹפָה וְאֵין לוֹ. עַל מְנָת שֶׁאֵין לוֹ וְיֵשׁ לוֹ. עַל מְנָת שֶׁיֵּשׁ לִי אִשָּׁה וּבָנִים וְאֵין לוֹ. עַל מְנָת שֶׁאֵין לִי וְיֵשׁ לוֹ. בְּכָל אֵלּוּ וְכָל הַדּוֹמֶה לָהֶן אֵינָהּ מְקֻדֶּשֶׁת. וְכֵן הִיא שֶׁהִטְעַתּוּ:

When [a man] tells a woman: "Behold, you are consecrated to me with this cup of wine," and the cup is discovered to contain honey [she is not consecrated]. [Similarly, if he tells her: "...Behold, you are consecrated to me with this cup] of honey," and the cup is discovered to contain wine; "...with this dinar of silver," and it is discovered to be gold; "...[with this dinar] of gold," and it is discovered to be silver; "...on condition that I am a priest," and he was discovered to be a Levite; "[on condition that I am] a Levite," and he was discovered to be a priest; "...[on condition that I am] a Givonite," and he was discovered to be a bastard; "...[on condition that I am] a bastard," and he was discovered to be a Givonite; "...[on condition that I am] an inhabitant of a town," and he was discovered to be an inhabitant of a metropolis; "...[on condition that I am] an inhabitant of a metropolis," and he was discovered to be an inhabitant of a town; "...on condition that I am poor," and he was discovered to be rich; "...[on condition that I am] rich," and he was discovered to be poor; "...on condition that my house is close to the bathhouse," and it is discovered to be distant from it; "...[on condition that my house is] distant from the bathhouse," and it is discovered to be close to it; "...on condition that I have a maid," "...a daughter who knows how to braid hair," or "...who bakes," and [it is discovered that] he does not have one; "...on condition that he does not have [one of the above,] and [it is discovered that] he does; "...on condition that he has a wife and children," and [it is discovered that] he does not; "...on condition that he does not have [the above,] and [it is discovered that] he does - in all these and in any similar instance, the woman is not consecrated. The same rule applies if she [makes a condition based on] false information.

וּבְכֻלָּם אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאָמְרָה בְּלִבִּי הָיָה לְהִתְקַדֵּשׁ לוֹ אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהִטְעַנִי וְאֵין הַדָּבָר כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר. וְכֵן אִם אָמַר הוּא בְּלִבִּי הָיָה לְקַדְּשָׁהּ אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהִטְעַתְנִי אֵינָהּ מְקֻדֶּשֶׁת לְפִי שֶׁהַדְּבָרִים שֶׁבַּלֵּב אֵינָם דְּבָרִים:

In all the above instances, she is not consecrated even though she says: "In my heart, I was willing to be consecrated to him even though he deceived me and gave me wrong information." Similarly, [if she gave him false information,] she is not consecrated even though he says: "In my heart, I was willing to consecrate her even though she deceived me." [The rationale is that] feelings in one's heart are not [the same as explicit] statements.

הֲרֵי אַתְּ מְקֻדֶּשֶׁת לִי עַל מְנָת שֶׁאֲנִי בַּסָּם וְנִמְצָא בַּסָּם וּבוּרְסַי. עַל מְנָת שֶׁאֲנִי בֶּן עִיר וְנִמְצָא בֶּן עִיר וּבֶן כְּרַךְ. עַל מְנָת שֶׁשְּׁמִי יוֹסֵף וְנִמְצָא שְׁמוֹ יוֹסֵף וְשִׁמְעוֹן הֲרֵי זוֹ מְקֻדֶּשֶׁת. אֲבָל אִם אָמַר לָהּ עַל מְנָת שֶׁאֵין שְׁמִי אֶלָּא יוֹסֵף וְנִמְצָא שְׁמוֹ יוֹסֵף וְשִׁמְעוֹן. שֶׁאֵינִי אֶלָּא בַּסָּם וְנִמְצָא בַּסָּם וּבוּרְסַי. שֶׁאֵינִי אֶלָּא בֶּן עִיר וְנִמְצָא בֶּן כְּרַךְ וּבֶן עִיר אֵינָהּ מְקֻדֶּשֶׁת:

[When a man tells a woman:] "Behold, you are consecrated to me on condition that I am a perfumer," and it is discovered that he is both a perfumer and a leather craftsman; "...on condition that I am an inhabitant of a town," and he was discovered to be an inhabitant of both a town and a metropolis; or "...on condition that my name is Yosef," and it was discovered that his name was Yosef and Shimon; she is consecrated. If, however, he told her: "[Behold, you are consecrated to me] on condition that my name is only Yosef," and it was discovered that his name was Yosef and Shimon; "...on condition that I am solely a perfumer," and it is discovered that he is both a perfumer and a leather craftsman; or "...on condition that I am solely an inhabitant of a town," and he was discovered to be an inhabitant of both a town and a metropolis; she is not consecrated.

הָאוֹמֵר לְאִשָּׁה הֲרֵי אַתְּ מְקֻדֶּשֶׁת לִי עַל מְנָת שֶׁאֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ לִקְרוֹת. צָרִיךְ שֶׁיִּקְרָא הַתּוֹרָה וִיתַרְגֵּם אוֹתָהּ תַּרְגּוּם אֻנְקְלוּס הַגֵּר. וְאִם אָמַר לָהּ עַל מְנָת שֶׁאֲנִי קוֹרֵא צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת יוֹדֵעַ לִקְרוֹת תּוֹרָה נְבִיאִים וּכְתוּבִים בְּדִקְדּוּק יָפֶה. עַל מְנָת שֶׁאֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ לִשְׁנוֹת צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת יוֹדֵעַ לִקְרוֹת הַמִּשְׁנָה. וְאִם אָמַר עַל מְנָת שֶׁאֲנִי תַּנָּאָה צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת יוֹדֵעַ לִקְרוֹת הַמִּשְׁנָה וְסַפְרָא וְסִפְרִי וְתוֹסֶפְתָּא שֶׁל רַבִּי חִיָּא:

When [a man] tells a woman: "Behold, you are consecrated to me on condition that I know how to read," [for the stipulation to be fulfilled] it is necessary that he know how to read from the Torah and translate what he reads according to the translation of Onkelos the convert. If he tells her: "...on condition that I am a reader," he must know how to read the Torah, the works of the Prophets and the Holy Writings with proper grammatical precision. [If he tells her:] "...on condition that I know how to study the Mishnah," he must know how to read the Mishnah. "...On condition that I am a sage of the Mishnah," he must know how to read the Mishnah, the Sifra, the Sifre, and the Tosefta of Rabbi Chiyya.

עַל מְנָת שֶׁאֲנִי תַּלְמִיד אֵין אוֹמְרִין כְּבֶן עֲזַאי וּבֶן זוֹמָא אֶלָּא כָּל שֶׁשּׁוֹאֲלִין אוֹתוֹ דָּבָר אֶחָד בְּתַלְמוּדוֹ וְאוֹמְרוֹ וַאֲפִלּוּ בְּהִלְכוֹת הֶחָג שֶׁמְּלַמְּדִין אוֹתָן בָּרַבִּים מִדְּבָרִים הַקַּלִּים סָמוּךְ לֶחָג כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיוּ כָּל הָעָם בְּקִיאִין בָּהֶן. עַל מְנָת שֶׁאֲנִי חָכָם אֵין אוֹמְרִין כְּרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא וַחֲבֵרָיו אֶלָּא כָּל שֶׁשּׁוֹאֲלִין אוֹתוֹ בְּכָל מָקוֹם דְּבַר חָכְמָה וְאוֹמֵר. עַל מְנָת שֶׁאֲנִי גִּבּוֹר אֵין אוֹמְרִין כְּאַבְנֵר בֶּן נֵר וּכְיוֹאָב אֶלָּא כָּל שֶׁחֲבֵרָיו מִתְיָרְאִים מִמֶּנּוּ מִפְּנֵי גְּבוּרָתוֹ. עַל מְנָת שֶׁאֲנִי עָשִׁיר אֵין אוֹמְרִין [כְּרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן חַרְסוֹם] וּכְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה אֶלָּא כָּל שֶׁבְּנֵי עִירוֹ מְכַבְּדִין אוֹתוֹ מִפְּנֵי עָשְׁרוֹ. עַל מְנָת שֶׁאֲנִי צַדִּיק אֲפִלּוּ רָשָׁע גָּמוּר הֲרֵי זוֹ מְקֻדֶּשֶׁת מִסָּפֵק שֶׁמָּא הִרְהֵר תְּשׁוּבָה בְּלִבּוֹ. עַל מְנָת שֶׁאֲנִי רָשָׁע אֲפִלּוּ צַדִּיק גָּמוּר הֲרֵי זוֹ מְקֻדֶּשֶׁת מִסָּפֵק שֶׁמָּא הִרְהֵר בְּעַכּוּ"ם בְּלִבּוֹ שֶׁעֲוֹן עַכּוּ"ם גָּדוֹל הוּא וּמִשֶּׁיְּהַרְהֵר לַעֲבֹד בְּלִבּוֹ נַעֲשֶׂה רָשָׁע שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יא טז) "פֶּן יִפְתֶּה לְבַבְכֶם". וְכָתוּב (יחזקאל יד ה) "לְמַעַן תְּפשֹׁ אֶת בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּלִבָּם":

[When a man tells a woman: "Behold, you are consecrated to me] on condition that I am a student [of the Torah]," we do not say that [he must be a student] of the caliber of ben Azzai and ben Zoma. Instead, it is sufficient that when one asks him a question regarding his studies, he is able to answer. [This includes] even the laws of the festivals that are studied in public; these are easy matters that are studied close to the festival, so that people at large will be familiar with them. [When a man tells a woman: "Behold, you are consecrated to me] on condition that I am a wise man," we do not say that [he must be] like Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues. Instead, it is sufficient that when one asks him a point of logic with regard to any subject, he is able to answer. "...On condition that I am mighty," we do not say that [he must be] like Avner ben Ner or Yoav. Rather, it is sufficient that his colleagues fear him because of his might. "...On condition that I am rich," we do not say that [he must be as wealthy] as Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah. Rather, it is sufficient that the inhabitants of his city honor him because of his wealth. [When a man tells a woman: "Behold, you are consecrated to me] on condition that I am righteous," even if the person is known to be thoroughly wicked, there is doubt [regarding the status of the kiddushin, and] the woman is considered as consecrated. For it is possible that he had thoughts of repentance in his heart at that time. "...On condition that I am wicked," even if the person is known to be thoroughly righteous, there is doubt [regarding the status of the kiddushin, and] the woman is considered as consecrated, since it is possible that he had thoughts of idol worship in his heart at that time. For the sin of idol worship is so great that even when a person thinks of serving [idols] in his heart, he is considered wicked, as [implied by Deuteronomy 11:16, which] states: "lest your hearts be tempted [and you go astray and serve other gods]," and [Ezekiel 14:5, which] states: "that I may detect the House of Israel in their hearts [for they are all estranged from Me because of their idols]."

הַמְקַדֵּשׁ אֶת הָאִשָּׁה וְאָמַר הָיִיתִי סָבוּר שֶׁהִיא כֹּהֶנֶת וַהֲרֵי הִיא לְוִיָּה. לְוִיָּה וַהֲרֵי הִיא כֹּהֶנֶת. עֲנִיָּה וַהֲרֵי הִיא עֲשִׁירָה. עֲשִׁירָה וַהֲרֵי הִיא עֲנִיָּה. הֲרֵי זוֹ מְקֻדֶּשֶׁת מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלֹּא הִטְעַתּוּ. וְכֵן הִיא שֶׁאָמְרָה סְבוּרָה הָיִיתִי שֶׁהוּא כֹּהֵן וַהֲרֵי הוּא לֵוִי. לֵוִי וַהֲרֵי הוּא כֹּהֵן. עָשִׁיר וַהֲרֵי הוּא עָנִי. עָנִי וַהֲרֵי הוּא עָשִׁיר. הֲרֵי זוֹ מְקֻדֶּשֶׁת מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלֹּא הִטְעָה אוֹתָהּ:

[When a man] consecrates a woman and says, "I thought she was from a priestly family, and instead she is from a family of Levites," "...from a family of Levites, and instead she is from a priestly family," "...poor, and instead she is rich," or "...rich, and instead she is poor," she is consecrated, for she did not cause him to err. Similarly, if she says, "I thought he was a priest, and instead he is a Levite," "...a Levite, and instead he is a priest," "...poor, and instead he is rich," or "...rich, and instead he is poor," she is consecrated, for he did not cause her to err.