Ketubot 63a (סג.) — the Talmud in English

To what extent

is she speaking of a living widow [

Until when will you conduct yourself as a living widow]!?

She said to him—

Rabbi Akiva’s wife said to that elder:

If he had obeyed me,

if my husband Rabbi Akiva had listened to me, he would have

remained for another twelve years—

he would have remained there for another twelve years.

Rabbi Akiva said,

when he heard her words: If so,

I am acting with permission [

I am acting with my wife’s permission]—

He went back, went, and remained for another twelve years in the house of study [

Rabbi Akiva went back and remained for another twelve years in the yeshiva].

When he came, he brought with him twenty-four thousand students [

When Rabbi Akiva returned home after those twelve years, he brought with him to his city twenty-four thousand students].

His wife heard, and she went out to greet him [

When his wife heard that he had arrived, she went out to greet him].

Her neighbors said to her [

her neighbors]:

Borrow clothing and dress and cover yourself [

Borrow clothing for yourself, dress, and cover yourself with it, so that you will not be disgraced by your poor clothing].

She said to them—

Rabbi Akiva’s wife said to her neighbors:

“The righteous person knows the soul of his animal,”

he recognizes that I have nothing, and I do not need to adorn myself before him.

When she reached him, she fell on her face and kissed his feet [

When she reached Rabbi Akiva, she fell on her face and kissed Rabbi Akiva’s feet]—

His attendants were pushing her away [

Rabbi Akiva’s attendants were pushing her away].

He said to them—

Rabbi Akiva said to his attendants:

Leave her alone [

Leave her alone], for the Torah study

of mine

and the Torah study

of yours—

is hers!

The Torah that I studied and the Torah that you studied are on her account, for had she not sent me to study, I would not have merited studying and teaching.

Ben Kalba Savua heard—

Ben Kalba Savua,

her father—

the father of Rabbi Akiva’s wife—

that a great man had come to the city [

that a great man had arrived in the city], and he did not know that it was his son-in-law—

He said,

Ben Kalba Savua [who regretted his vow, without knowing that this was his son-in-law]:

I will go to him; perhaps he will annul my vow [

I will go to him; perhaps he will release me from my vow], by which I had prohibited my daughter from benefiting from my property.

Ben Kalba Savua came

Ben Kalba Savua

to him,

to Rabbi Akiva, and asked him to release him from his vow.

Rabbi Akiva said to him—

Rabbi Akiva said to his father-in-law:

Did you make the vow on the assumption that a great man

would he become?

Had you known that your son-in-law would become a great man, would you have made the vow?

Ben Kalba Savua said to him—

Ben Kalba Savua said to Rabbi Akiva:

Even

if I had known that my son-in-law would know

one halakha,

I would not have prohibited my daughter from benefiting from me.

Rabbi Akiva said to him—

Rabbi Akiva said to his father-in-law:

It is I,

your son-in-law! And he released him from his vow.

Ben Kalba Savua fell

Ben Kalba Savua

on his face and kissed him

Rabbi Akiva

on his feet [

he fell on his face and kissed Rabbi Akiva’s feet], and

gave him half of his wealth [

he gave him half of his property].

And the Gemara adds and relates:

Also

Rabbi Akiva’s daughter did the same for Ben Azzai [

Rabbi Akiva’s daughter, who had become betrothed to Ben Azzai, did the same for him], having been betrothed to him on the condition that he study Torah in the yeshiva, without her father’s knowledge.

And this is what people say [

And this is what people say]:

The young ewe—

follows the ewe [

the young sheep follows its mother].

According to the deeds of the mother—

so are the deeds of the daughter [

as the deeds of the mother, so are the deeds of her daughter].

Rav Yosef, son of Rava, his father sent him [

his father sent him] after his marriage

to the house of study

to the yeshiva

before Rav Yosef.

They stipulated for him

the bride’s family stipulated that he remain

six years [

six years] in the yeshiva.

When three years had passed [

after three years],

the eve of Yom Kippur arrived [

when the eve of Yom Kippur arrived].

Rav Yosef, son of Rava, said

Rav Yosef, son of Rava:

I will go and see the members of my household [

I will go home to see the members of my household].

When

his father heard

that his son had come,

he took a weapon and went out to greet him [

he took a weapon and went out to greet him], as though he had come to fight with him, and

said to him:

Did you remember

your wife!?

Some say

that he

said to him:

Did you remember

your dove

!?

They became embroiled

The two of them became embroiled in that quarrel, and

neither Mar—

Rava, the father—

ate the meal preceding the fast, [

ate the meal preceding the fast],

nor Mar—

Rav Yosef, the son—

ate it.

Mishna:

A woman who rebels against her husband [

against her husband], and the Gemara will explain whether the rebellion consisted of refraining from marital relations or from performing labor—

Her marriage contract is reduced by seven dinars for

each

week [

week] that she persists in her rebellion, one dinar per day. And afterward he gives her a bill of divorce, and she leaves without her marriage contract.

Rabbi Yehuda says:

Her marriage contract is reduced by no more than

seven trapeikim [

their value will be explained in the Gemara] each week, one trapeik per day.

Until when [

To what extent]

does he reduce it?—

Until it corresponds to the amount of her marriage contract.

Until he causes her entire marriage contract to be lost, but he does not take from his wife’s property.

Rabbi Yosei

disagrees and

says:

He continues reducing it,

and he may even collect from her property,

until

even

if she receives an inheritance from elsewhere,

the husband has the right to

collect from her

for as long as she rebels, according to the measure stated above.

And similarly, regarding a husband who rebels against his wife, three dinars are added to her marriage contract for

each

week [

half a dinar per day, and nothing is added for Shabbat]. And these additions become a debt incumbent upon him when he becomes obligated to give her the entire amount of her marriage contract.

Rabbi Yehuda says: three trapeikim

alone are added to her marriage contract, half a trapeik per day.

Gemara:

We learned in the Mishna: A woman who rebels against her husband.

And we raised a question concerning it:

Against what does she rebel,

against labor or against marital relations?

Rav Huna said: A woman who rebels

against

marital relations.

Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said: A woman who rebels

against

labor.

We learned

in our Mishna:

“And similarly, a husband who rebels against his wife.”

This indicates that his rebellion is similar to hers. If so, one can raise the following difficulty—

Granted, according to the one who says

that the rebellion is

against marital relations,

it is well: The husband’s rebellion, too, is against marital relations.

But according to the one who says

that the rebellion is

against labor,

it is difficult:

Is he [

does the husband]

obligated to her

to perform labor for her, such that it should be said that if he does not perform labor he is rebelling against his wife!?

And we answer:

Yes,

a husband’s rebellion can consist of his refraining from performing labor that he is obligated to perform in order to support his wife,

when

the husband

says

to his wife:

“I will not provide you with food, and I will not support you”! [

But according to Rashi, the husband’s rebellion is in failing to pay the maintenance that he must give her in return for her labor, and the husband is obligated to provide maintenance].

The Gemara objects: But a husband who says, “I will not provide you with food, and I will not support you,” cannot delay the divorce and add to her marriage contract!

But

did

Rav say: One who says, “I will not provide food, and I will not support”

must divorce her and give her the marriage contract!?

And we answer:

Does

he

not need to be consulted [

is there no need to consult the husband]? For even according to Rav, he is not immediately compelled to divorce her; rather, they attempt to persuade him to provide food and support. During the period in which they appeal to him to retract his position, an amount corresponding to that stated in our Mishna is added to her marriage contract each week.

Meytivi

to Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina, who explains “a rebel” as referring to labor, from what we learned in a beraita:

For it was taught:

It is the same for me

whether she is a rebel while

betrothed,

when she rebels by refusing to marry,

and it is the same for me whether she is a rebel while

married,

and even

if she rebels while

in niddah,

and even if she rebels while

ill,

and even a woman awaiting levirate marriage,

who does not wish to enter levirate marriage—all of these are included within the category of “a rebel.”

And one can object:

Granted, according to the one who says that a woman is a rebel

against

marital relations,

she is,

this is why it teaches that even a

woman who is

ill,

if she rebels, is included within the category of a rebel, since she is capable of tolerating marital relations.