Ketubot 50a — the Talmud in English

He said to him:

that man

writes his property to his sons

during his lifetime

—he, and I made them into people who are forced

and I compelled his sons to support him against their will].

And now,

if you say that it is well

that the obligation of his sons to support him

is not

from the essential

law

—

for that reason he compelled them,

and for that reason he praised him, because he took the trouble to enter beyond the letter of the law.

But if you say that it is the law, does he need to compel them?

Behold, this is the law, and against his will he must judge truthfully; that man should not have needed to hold gratitude toward him for this!

Rabbi Ila said: In Usha they instituted

that

one who squanders

his property for charity

should not squander more than a fifth

of his property.

It was also taught so: One who squanders

of his property for charity

should not squander more than a fifth, lest he become dependent upon people.

And there was an incident involving one who sought to squander more than a fifth, but his fellow did not permit him. And who was he?

Who was that fellow?

Rabbi Yeshvav.

And some say

that

Rabbi Yeshvav

sought to squander more than a fifth,

but his fellow did not permit him. And who was he?—

Rabbi Akiva.

Rav Naḥman said, and some say Rav Aḥa bar Yaakov: What is the verse?

From where do we learn this matter from Scripture? For it is written:

“And all that You give me, I shall surely tithe to You.” And there are two tithings

“I shall surely tithe”—they amount to a fifth. It follows that he should not squander more.

And we challenge this:

But the latter tithing is not comparable to the first tithing

for the first tenth is not comparable to the second tenth, since after he tithed the first tenth, nine parts remained, and when he tithed again, he tithed only from the nine; therefore, he expended less than a fifth!

Rav Ashi said:

From the fact that it is written, “I shall surely tithe,” and it is not written, “I shall tithe,” it follows:

“I shall surely tithe”

for the

latter tithing

like the first

[like the first one].

Rav Shimi bar Ashi said: And these traditions

of Rabbi Ila concerning the institutions of Usha

are diminishing and going

with regard to the amoraim who stated them. For the first tradition said: Rabbi Ila in the name of Reish Lakish in the name of Rabbi Yehuda ben Hanina; the second tradition said: Rabbi Ila in the name of Reish Lakish; whereas the third said: Rabbi Ila alone.

And your sign

in the order of these laws, and through it you will know the order of their diminution and will not exchange their order, is:

“Minors

[to support his minor son and daughter],

wrote

[one who writes his property and so on],

and squandered

[he should not squander more than a fifth].”

Rav Yitzḥak said: In Usha they instituted that a person should roll himself along

with gentle words

with his son

if he refuses to study

until twelve years.

From here onward,

from the age of twelve,

he descends upon him for his life

to chastise him with a strap and with deprivation of bread.

And we wonder:

Is that so? But Rav said to Rav Shmuel bar Shilat

who was a teacher of children:

“Younger than six

[younger than six years old]

do not accept

to teach.

At six accept him—

and feed him like an ox

[feed him Torah as an ox, for you feed him and stuff food into him ]! We see that already from the age of six he compels him to study!

And we explain:

Yes,

indeed,

he feeds him like an ox. However, he does not descend upon him for his life—

until after twelve years.

And if you wish, say: There

that we say that he compels him from the age of six—this is

for

the study of

Scripture.

Whereas

there

that we say that he compels him from the age of twelve—this is

for

the study of

Mishna.

For Abaye said: My mother said to me

[my nurse]:

At six—

for Scripture.

At ten—

for Mishna.

At thirteen

[thirteen years old]—

for a full-day fast

[to fast the entire day].

And with a girl

[and with a young girl], since she is quicker to acquire strength, because she does not weaken her strength through Torah—she fasts when she is

twelve years old.

And that which Abaye’s nurse said, that a girl of twelve fasts, means that she fasts in the twelfth year itself. But that which she fasts from the age of twelve years and one day is by Torah law, for she has grown two hairs and is liable to punishment, and we do not need to learn this matter from Abaye’s nurse.

Abaye said: My mother said to me: This six-year-old whom a scorpion stings on the day on which his sixth year is completed

[a six-year-old whom a scorpion stung on the day on which his sixth year was completed]—

does not live

[he will not live] unless they perform a proven remedy for him.

What is his remedy

[what is his remedy]?

White dove gall in beer

[the gall of a white dove in beer],

apply it to him and give him to drink

[one must smear him with this and give him the beer to drink].

This one-year-old whom a bee stings on the day on which his year is completed

[a one-year-old whom a bee stung on the day on which his year was completed]—

does not live.

What is his remedy

[what is his remedy]?

Palm-fiber

[fiber that grows around the palm]

in water; apply it to him and give him to drink.

Rav Ketina said: Anyone who brings his son, younger than six years old

to study Torah,

runs after him

to restore his health and revive him—

but does not reach him,

for he does not succeed in this, because the child is in danger of dying from the severity of his weakness.

Some say: His companions

of his son

run after him,

to become wise in Torah like him—

but do not reach him.

And

in truth

both are present

[both matters exist]: he is also

weakened,

for he indeed becomes weakened because of his study,

and

also

learned

[he becomes wise in Torah].

If you wish, say: There

that we say that his father runs after him to restore his health—

when he is weak

[when the son is weak], and therefore he should not bring him to study Torah before he is six years old.

Whereas

there

that we say that his companions run after him—it is where

the

son is

healthy, and then he may bring him even before he is six years old, because he becomes more intelligent.

in which case he may be brought even before the age of six, since he becomes more intelligent.

Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina said: In Usha they instituted

that

the woman who sold the

principal of

usufruct property

[property that she brought from her father’s house]

during the lifetime of her husband—

and died

afterward—

the husband takes it out

from the purchasers .

from the hands of the purchasers.

And the reason is that the Sages regarded the husband as a purchaser, that is, as though he acquired the property from his wife when he married her. If so, he preceded the purchasers who acquired it from her!

Rav Yitzḥak bar Yosef found Rabbi Abbahu, who was standing in the crowd of Usha

[when he was standing in the place where people of Usha had gathered].

He said to him: Who is the master of the tradition of Usha

[who is the one who stated the traditions of Usha]?

He said to him: Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina

he is.

He learned it from him

Rav Yitzḥak learned this matter from Rabbi Abbahu—that Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina was the master of the tradition of Usha—

forty times,

and it appeared to him as one who had it placed in his pocket

[and after he had learned it from him forty times, it appeared to him as though the matter were placed in his pocket].

It is written

in the Book of Psalms:

“Fortunate are those who guard justice, who perform charity at every time.”

And it is difficult:

Can one perform charity at every time?

Rather,

our Sages in Yavneh expounded, and some say

that

Rabbi Eliezer

expounded this matter:

This is one who feeds

his

sons and daughters when they are minors.

For they are always dependent upon him, day and night, yet this is not an obligation upon him—but charity!

Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: This is one who raises an orphan boy and an orphan girl within his house—

and marries them

when they reach the appropriate age.

It is further written in the Book of Psalms:

“Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness stands forever,”

which implies that he has wealth and riches in his house, that he did not squander them, and nevertheless his righteousness stands forever, for he performed much charity. How is this possible?

And they explained this verse:

Rav Huna and Rav Ḥisda.

One

[one of them]

said: This is one who studies Torah—

and teaches it

to others. For it remains with him, and he also performed charity through the effort he made to teach it to others.

And one said: This is one who writes

books of

the Torah, Prophets, and Writings—

and lends them to others.

For the books remain his, since they do not wear out, and nevertheless he performed charity by lending them to others.

It is further written in the Book of Psalms:

“And may you see sons of your sons, peace upon Israel.” Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi

in explanation of this verse

said: Since

there are

sons of your sons—

there comes

peace upon Israel, for

through this

he does not come to halitza and levirate marriage ,

for halitza and levirate marriage apply only when the husband dies without children.

Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: Since there are sons of your sons—

there is peace upon the judges of Israel, for

through this

they do not come to quarrel.

For if there are no sons, they will come to a dispute over who is first to inherit. But when there are sons, it is certain that they are the ones who receive the inheritance.

We learned in our Mishna:

“This is the exposition that Rabbi Eliezer expounded before the Sages, and so on.”