Ketubot 5a — the Talmud in English

Because of calculations.

So that during Shabbat he would not calculate the expenses of the meal that he is destined to prepare at the conclusion of Shabbat, when he brings her under the wedding canopy.

Abaye said to him: But calculations of a mitzva—

are they forbidden

to calculate them on Shabbat?

But Rav Hisda and Rav Hamnuna, both of them said: Calculations of a mitzva—

it is permitted to calculate them on Shabbat!?

And

likewise

Rabbi Elazar said: The collectors may allocate

the charity-fund collectors,

charity to the poor on Shabbat!

And calculating the charity due from the charity fund to each and every poor person involves a calculation, and it is permitted to make this calculation on Shabbat.

And

likewise,

Rabbi Yaakov said that Rabbi Yohanan said: One may go to synagogues and study halls

in order

to inspect

to examine and discuss

the affairs of the community on Shabbat!

And Rabbi Yaakov bar Idi said that Rabbi Yohanan said: One may inspect,

examine and discuss matters of

“saving a life

on Shabbat!”

And Rav Shmuel bar Nahmani said that Rabbi Yonatan said: One may go to theaters,

which are the palaces of the kings and rulers,

and to circuses,

which are their places of entertainment, where one can meet them in order

to inspect the affairs of the community on Shabbat!

And the tanna of the school of Menashya taught: Matchmakers may arrange matches concerning the girls

in order

to betroth

them—

on Shabbat.

And

likewise “matchmakers may arrange

concerning the boy

to find him a teacher

to teach him Scripture, and

in order

to teach him a trade,

since learning a trade that brings a livelihood is also a mitzva incumbent upon the father, to train his son in it so that he will be able to support himself through it.

And since all these proofs demonstrate that there is no prohibition against engaging in matters of mitzva on Shabbat, the Gemara retracts the reason that one should not marry a woman at the conclusion of Shabbat because of calculating the meal’s expenses.

Rather, Rabbi Zeira said:

Therefore, a man should not marry a woman at the conclusion of Shabbat,

a decree lest

because of the preoccupation of his thoughts with preparing the meal for his wedding, he forget that today is Shabbat, and we must be concerned lest

he slaughter a young bird

on Shabbat, which is easy to slaughter, for the meal at the conclusion of Shabbat.

Abaye said to him: If that is so,

according to Rabbi Zeira, that one must be concerned that a person will forget, because of the preoccupation of his thoughts with preparing the meal, the very nature of the day of Shabbat and will come to slaughter on it—

Yom Kippur that occurs on Monday,

when one prepares a meal on the eve of Yom Kippur, on Sunday, we should likewise be concerned lest he err and mistakenly slaughter a young bird on Shabbat, because of the preoccupation of his thoughts with preparing the meal that he needs for the day after Shabbat—

And if so,

let it be postponed

Yom Kippur from Monday to Tuesday!

And they would do this—in order that the eve of Yom Kippur not occur on Sunday,

a decree lest he slaughter a young bird

on Shabbat!

And the Gemara answers:

There,

on the eve of Yom Kippur,

for himself,

a person prepares the meal for himself—

he is not preoccupied

in his thoughts, since he is not so particular about it.

But

here,

at a wedding meal,

for others

he prepares it—

he is preoccupied

in his thoughts that it should be proper, and he is capable of forgetting about Shabbat and coming to slaughter a young bird on it for the meal.

Alternatively,

there is another distinction between a wedding meal at the conclusion of Shabbat and the meal on the eve of Yom Kippur on Sunday.

For

there,

on the eve of Yom Kippur that occurs on Sunday—

he has leeway,

he has time available to slaughter at the conclusion of Shabbat, since the meal on the eve of Yom Kippur is only on the following day.

Whereas

here,

when he prepares the wedding meal at the conclusion of Shabbat—

he has no leeway,

he has no time available to prepare the meal, since it is at the conclusion of Shabbat, immediately after Shabbat has ended. Therefore, only in this case were they concerned that he might err and forget about Shabbat.

The Gemara adds and says:

Now,

from this point onward,

since you have arrived at this,

that we have come to say that there is concern lest he forget about Shabbat and come to slaughter on it, and therefore a man should not marry a woman at the conclusion of Shabbat—

The eve of Shabbat also

a man should not marry a woman,

a decree lest he slaughter a young bird

on Shabbat, if he lacks something for his meal.

They raised a dilemma before them:

When is the time for intercourse with a virgin?

Is it that

a virgin is married on Wednesday, and intercourse takes place

even

on Wednesday [

during the day, in a dark house],

and we are not concerned about cooling of the mind

until Thursday morning, when he can present his claim in court?

Or perhaps a virgin is married on Wednesday, and intercourse takes place

specifically

on

the eve of

Thursday, since we are concerned about cooling of the mind

if he advances the intercourse to Wednesday.

Ta shma:

For bar Kappara taught: A virgin is married on Wednesday and intercourse takes place on Thursday, since blessing was stated on it

for procreation

concerning the fish.

A widow is married on Thursday, and intercourse takes place on Friday, since blessing was stated on it

for procreation

concerning man.

And the Gemara infers:

The reason

that intercourse with a virgin takes place on the eve of Thursday is

because of blessing. But

because of cooling of the mind—

we are not concerned.

And it follows that one who is not particular about blessing may also have intercourse on Wednesday.

And we consider this:

If so,

that the reason for intercourse with a virgin on the eve of Thursday [and not on Wednesday, when she is married] is because of the blessing concerning the fish that was stated on Thursday—

A widow too should have intercourse on Thursday, since blessing was stated on it

for procreation

concerning the fish!

And we answer:

The blessing

for procreation, which was stated on Friday concerning

man—

is preferable to him.

Alternatively,

a widow has intercourse on Friday and not on Thursday

because of

the enactment of

“they were diligent”,

as the following beraita will explain—

For it was taught: Why did they say that a widow is married on Thursday and has intercourse on Friday?

For if you say that she should have intercourse on Thursday, on the following day,

on Friday, he would

rise early for his work and go away.

Therefore,

the Sages were diligent concerning the enactment for the daughters of Israel,

the widows,

that he should rejoice with her for three days, Thursday, the eve of Shabbat, and Shabbat.

And the Gemara explains:

What difference is there between “blessing” and “they were diligent”?

The difference between them is: an idle man.

Alternatively, a Festival that occurs on the eve of Shabbat,

when people do not work.

And since the Gemara brought bar Kappara’s words in aggada, it attached to them his words in the exposition of Scripture—

Bar Kappara expounded: The deeds of the righteous are greater than the deeds of heaven and earth.

For whereas concerning the deed of heaven and earth—

it is written [

Isaiah 48]

“Indeed, My hand founded the earth, and My right hand spread out the heavens.”

And it follows that the Holy One, blessed be He, made them with His one “hand.”

But concerning the deed of the hands of the righteous—

it is written [

Exodus 15]

“The place for Your dwelling, You made, O Lord;

the Sanctuary, O Lord, Your hands established.”

That is to say, the Sanctuary, which is the deed of the hands of the righteous, was established by the [two] “hands” of the Holy One, blessed be He.

A Babylonian

asked

and his name was Rabbi Hiyya:

It is stated in the Book of Psalms [chapter 95]

“And the dry land—

His hands formed”!

And it follows that even the work of Creation was with the two hands of the Holy One, blessed be He!?

And we answer: Indeed, the reading of the verse is “His hands,” but

“His hand”

in the singular

is written,

whose meaning is one hand.

And

we challenge:

The writing

also later in the verse is

“They formed”,

whose meaning is plural!?

Rav Nahman bar Yitzhak said:

With His one hand—

His fingers formed them!

As it is written [

Psalms 8]

“For I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and stars that You established.”

They objected

from Scripture itself, as it is stated in the Book of Psalms [chapter 19]

“The heavens recount the glory of God, and the firmament declares the work of His hands.”

And it is demonstrated that the creation of the firmament, which is part of the work of Creation, was with the two hands!?

And we answer:

This is what the verse says,

this verse:

the work of the hands of the righteous,

who are called the work of the hands of the Holy One, blessed be He—

who declares it?—

The firmament

declares

it! And what is it?

The work of the hands of the righteous—

rain.

For the righteous ask the Holy One, blessed be He, to bring down rain, and the firmament testifies to the creatures that the righteous pray for rain, and therefore the rain falls.

Another

exposition by bar Kappara:

What is the meaning of that which is written: [

Deuteronomy 23]

“And a peg

to dig with

you shall have upon your ear”

your weapon?

Do not read “upon your ear,” but “upon your weapon.”

And it is a parable:

If a person hears something improper—