Kiddushin 49b (מט:) — the Talmud in English

And we answer:

What is meant by

“Torah” that Rabbi Yohanan said?

The source of the Torah,

the study of Torah;

and his opinion accords with that of Rabbi Yehuda, who says that this is the meaning of Mishna.

And this applies when he says to her: “

Be betrothed to me on the condition that I

know how to recite

know how to study],”

but if he says to her: “

Be betrothed to me on the condition that

I am a tanna

I am an expert tanna], she is not betrothed

until he can teach the halakhot, Sifra, Sifrei, and Tosefta.

If one says to a woman: “Be betrothed to me

on the condition that I am a student,”

we do not say

that she is not betrothed until he is

like Shimon ben Azzai and Shimon ben Zoma;

they were students and unmarried young men, and they never reached the status of ordained sages, yet in their generation there were none like them in Torah!

Rather, anyone from whom people ask a question anywhere—

that is, in one of the places—

in his learning, and he can answer it, even in tractate Kallah

the tractate Kallah].

If one says to a woman: “Be betrothed to me

on the condition that I am wise,”

we do not say

that she is not betrothed until he is

like the Sages of Yavne—

that is,

like Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues—but rather, anyone from whom people ask a matter of wisdom

a matter dependent on reasoning]

anywhere—

that is, in one of the places—

and he can answer it,

this is what is meant by “wise.”

If one says to a woman: “Be betrothed to me

on the condition that I am mighty,”

we do not say

that she is not betrothed until he is mighty

like Abner son of Ner and Joab son of Zeruiah,

from David’s men, who were extraordinarily mighty;

rather, anyone whose companions fear him because of his strength,

this is what is meant by “mighty.”

If one says to a woman: “Be betrothed to me

on the condition that I am wealthy,”

we do not say

that she is not betrothed until he is

like Rabbi Elazar ben Ḥarsum and Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah,

who were extremely wealthy;

rather, anyone whom the people of his city honor because of his wealth,

this is what is meant by “wealthy.”

If one says to a woman: “Be betrothed to me

on the condition that I am righteous,”

then

even

if he is known to us as

a completely wicked person,

she is

betrothed

doubtfully,

as perhaps

he contemplated repentance in his mind .

If one says to a woman: “Be betrothed to me

on the condition that I am wicked,”

even

if he is known to us as

completely righteous,

she is

betrothed

doubtfully,

as perhaps he contemplated idolatry in his mind .

Ten measures of wisdom

Ten measures of wisdom

Torah and proper worldly conduct]

descended into the world: the Land of Israel took nine, and one

Ten measures of beauty descended to the world: Jerusalem took nine, and the entire world took one.

the entire world.

Ten measures of beauty descended into the world: Jerusalem took nine, and one the entire world.

Ten measures of wealth descended into the world: the ancient Romans took nine, and one the entire world;

Ten measures of poverty descended into the world: Babylonia took nine, and one the entire world;

Ten measures of arrogance

of spirit

descended into the world: Elam took nine, and one the entire world;

And we ask:

But

is that so?

Did arrogance

of spirit

not descend to Babylonia

did it not descend to Babylonia], but rather to Elam!?

But it is written

in the prophecy of the prophet Zechariah: “The angel who spoke with me went out and said to me: Lift your eyes and see what is emerging [what is the thing emerging from the Holy of Holies]. And I said [to the angel]: What is it [what is the thing you are telling me to see]? And the angel said [to me]: This is the ephah emerging [you see something emerging in the form of an ephah, the vessel used for measuring]. And he said [to me, after I had seen it]: This [with this measure they will measure those whose] eyes [are fixed] throughout all the land [to rob and oppress]. And I saw further, and behold, a talent of lead was lifted [above the earth into the air], and [I saw further] this: a woman sitting inside the ephah. And he said [to me, concerning the woman]: This [is] the wickedness [the evil inclination], and he cast her into the ephah, and he cast the lead weight over its opening.”

And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, two women were coming out,

[from the Holy of Holies],

with the wind in their wings; and they had wings like the wings of the stork, and they lifted the ephah between earth and heaven. And I said to the angel who spoke with me: Where are they taking the ephah? And he said to me: To build a house for it

for the wicked woman within it, who is the evil inclination]

in the land of Shinar.” —

And Rabbi Yohanan said

to explain what the ephah represents:

This

is the evil inclination of

flattery

and arrogance of spirit,

which

was carried by the two women; and it

descended to Babylonia

the land of Shinar]. Thus, arrogance of spirit is found in Babylonia.

And we answer:

No;

indeed, arrogance

descended here

here, to Babylonia, it descended],

but it was extended and spread there

and arrogance spread there, to Elam].

This is also precise,

that only flattery remained in Babylonia,

as it is written: “

To build a house for it

in the land of Shinar.” It does not say “to build a house for them,” because only flattery became established in Babylonia, whereas arrogance of spirit went to Elam—

learn from this!

And we challenge this:

Is that so?

But this is not the case, for arrogance of spirit is prevalent in Elam!?

For

the Master said: A sign of arrogance

of spirit

is poverty, and poverty is found only in Babylonia,

even today; thus, it is still there!?

And we answer:

What sort of poverty

is a sign of arrogance of spirit? It is not financial poverty, which is found in Babylonia, but

poverty of Torah,

for Torah does not rest upon the arrogant: because of his arrogance, he does not serve his teacher as fully as he should and does not review what he has heard. Poverty of Torah, however, is not found in Babylonia but in Elam,

as it is written

in the words of Daniel [who, together with Mordecai the Jew, was in Elam; their generation did not engage in Torah, and Daniel and Mordecai did not merit teaching it]: “

We have a little sister, and she has no breasts

to nurse, to teach,

she has none.”

And Rabbi Yohanan said: This is Elam, which merited

learning but did not merit teaching;

but Babylonia merited teaching, as it is written concerning Ezra, who was in Babylonia: “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Torah of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.”

Ten measures of might descended into the world: the Persians took nine,

and one the entire world.

Ten measures of sincerity descended into the world: Media took nine,

and one the entire world.

Ten measures of sorcery descended into the world: Egypt took nine,

and one the entire world.

Ten measures of afflictions descended into the world: pigs took nine,

and one the entire world.

Ten measures of sexual immorality descended into the world: Arabia took nine,

and one the entire world.

Ten measures of brazenness

[illegitimacy]

descended into the world: Meishan took nine,

for most of its inhabitants are mamzerim, and one the entire world.

Ten measures of conversation descended into the world: women took nine,

and one the entire world.

Ten measures of drunkenness

[and there are versions that read]

blackness

descended into the world: the Cushites took nine,

and one the entire world.

Ten measures of sleep descended into the world: slaves took nine, and the entire world took one.

Mishna:

If one betroths a woman and says to her: “Be betrothed to me

on the condition that I am a priest,”

and he is found to be a Levite,

which is inferior to a priest and thus he misled her to her detriment; or even if he says to her: “Be betrothed to me on the condition that I am a

Levite,”

Or if he betrothed her “on the condition that I am a townsman,”

and he is found to be a priest,

so that he misled her to her benefit.

Or if he betrothed her “on the condition that I am a

netin,”

from whom David decreed that they may not enter the congregation of the Lord,

and he is found

to be a mamzer,

who is disqualified by Torah law from entering the congregation of the Lord, and thus he misled her to her detriment; or even if he betrothed her “on the condition that I am a

mamzer,”

and he is found to be a netin,

so that he misled her to her benefit.

Or if he betrothed her “on the condition that I am a

city dweller,”

and he is found to be a townsman,

which is not as good for her as being a city dweller, because living in large towns is difficult: a city is a place of marketplaces, where high prices are common and there is the burden of passersby; or even if he betrothed her “on the condition that I am a

townsman,”

and he is found to be a city dweller,

so that he misled her to her benefit.

Or if he betrothed her “on the condition that

my house is near the bathhouse,”

and it is found to be far away,

so that he misled her to her detriment; or even if he said, “on the condition that my house is

far

from the bathhouse,”

and it is found to be near.

Or if he betrothed her

on the condition that he has a daughter, or

that he has a

grown female slave,

and he does not have one; or

even if he betrothed her

on the condition that he does not have

a daughter or a grown female slave,

and he does have one.

the matter is so, as it is now, and his condition is untrue”—

Or if he betrothed her

on the condition that he has no children, and he does have children; or

even if he betrothed her

on the condition that he has

children

and he does not have any—

and in all of them

a certain man who sold his property with the intention of going up to the Land of Israel

and in all the cases we have mentioned],

even though she says: “

In my heart I intended to be betrothed to him even though

the matter

was

as it is now, when his condition is untrue”—

she is not betrothed.

not a word [at the time of the sale he said nothing at all].

And likewise, when she misled him,

she is not betrothed.

Gemara:

There was an incident involving

a certain man who sold his property with the intention of ascending to the Land of Israel

[he sold his property because it was in his mind to go up to the Land of Israel], but in the end he was prevented by circumstances and did not go up to the Land,

he sold his property because he intended to ascend to the Land of Israel], but in the end he was prevented by circumstances beyond his control and did not ascend to the Land

;

but

at the time of the sale he did not tell the buyer

anything at all

at the time of the sale he said nothing].

Rava said: This is

unspoken matters

and unspoken matters are not considered legally significant.

And we explain:

From where does Rava derive

this principle, that “unspoken thoughts are not considered words”?

If you say

that perhaps it is derived

from this [

as we learned in the Mishna ] [

as it was taught in a beraita ]: