## Ketubot Daf 14a

###### Ketubot 14a:1
[Ketubot 14a:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ketubot/r/14a:1)

אִין, מִינַּאי. אָמַר רַב יוֹסֵף: לְמַאי נֵיחוּשׁ לַהּ? חֲדָא, דְּהָא קָא מוֹדֵה. וְעוֹד, הָא אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: הֲלָכָה כְּרַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Yes,** she conceived **from** relations with **me. Rav Yosef said:** The ruling here is clear, as **with regard to what** suspicion need we **be concerned? First, he concedes** that he is the father. **And furthermore, didn’t Rav Yehuda say** that **Shmuel said: The *halakha*** is **in accordance with** the opinion of **Rabban Gamliel,** and even if he didn’t admit that the child was his, the woman’s claim is accorded credibility?


###### Ketubot 14a:2
[Ketubot 14a:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ketubot/r/14a:2)

אֲמַר לֵיהּ אַבָּיֵי: וּבְהָא, כִּי לָא מוֹדֵה מַכְשַׁר רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל? וְהָאָמַר לֵיהּ שְׁמוּאֵל לְרַב יְהוּדָה: שִׁינָּנָא, הֲלָכָה כְּרַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל, וְאַתְּ לָא תַּעֲבֵיד עוֹבָדָא עַד דְּאִיכָּא רוֹב כְּשֵׁרִין אֶצְלָהּ. וְהָכָא — רוֹב פְּסוּלִין אֶצְלָהּ!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Abaye said to him: And in this** case, based on the fact that you cited two reasons to deem the child fit, is that to say **when he does not admit** that he is the father **Rabban Gamliel deems** the child **fit? But didn’t Shmuel say to Rav Yehuda: Big-toothed** one, **the *halakha*** is **in accordance with** the opinion of **Rabban Gamliel,** i.e., that she is accorded credibility, **but you should not perform an action** based on this ruling **unless the majority of the men in her proximity are honorable** and of impeccable lineage, corroborating her claim. **And here,** since she is betrothed, **the majority of the men in her proximity are unfit,** as a child fathered by any man other than her betrothed is a *mamzer*. Shmuel should not have ruled that the *halakha* was in accordance with the opinion of Rabban Gamliel.


###### Ketubot 14a:3
[Ketubot 14a:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ketubot/r/14a:3)

וְלִיטַעְמָיךְ תִּקְשֵׁי לָךְ הִיא גּוּפַהּ: הֲלָכָה, וְאַתְּ לָא תַּעֲבֵיד עוֹבָדָא?! אֶלָּא מַאי אִית לָךְ לְמֵימַר: הָא — לְכַתְּחִלָּה, הָא — דִּיעֲבַד. וְהָא נָמֵי, כְּדִיעֲבַד דָּמֵי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Rav Yosef said to Abaye: **And according to your reasoning,** the *halakha* **itself should pose a difficulty for you,** as on the one hand Shmuel rules that it is the ***halakha* and** on the other hand he adds: **But you should not perform an action** based on this ruling. **Rather, what have you to say** to explain this contradiction? **This** statement that one relies on the woman’s claim only if a majority of men in her proximity are of unflawed lineage is ***ab initio*. That** statement that one may rely on the woman’s claim regardless of the status of the men in her proximity is **after the fact. And this** case of the betrothed woman, **too, is like** a case **after the fact,** as failure to rely on her claim will render her child a *mamzer*. Therefore, in this case, Shmuel would rule that the *halakha* is in accordance with the opinion of Rabban Gamliel.


###### Ketubot 14a:4
[Ketubot 14a:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ketubot/r/14a:4)

רָמֵי לֵיהּ אַבָּיֵי לְרָבָא: וּמִי אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֵינָהּ נֶאֱמֶנֶת? וּרְמִינְהוּ: הֵעִיד רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶּן בְּתֵירָא עַל אַלְמְנַת עִיסָּה, שֶׁהִיא כְּשֵׁרָה לַכְּהוּנָּה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ **Abaye raised a contradiction before Rava** from a mishna (*Eduyyot* 8:3): **Did Rabbi Yehoshua say that** the woman **is not deemed credible** and her claim is not accepted? **And** the Gemara **raises a contradiction: Rabbi Yehoshua and Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira testified concerning the widow** whose late husband was a member **of a** priestly **family of questionable lineage [*issa*], that she is fit to** marry into the **priesthood.** Since the matter is uncertain, the woman retains her presumptive status of fitness and her late husband is presumed to be of unflawed lineage.


###### Ketubot 14a:5
[Ketubot 14a:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ketubot/r/14a:5)

אֲמַר לֵיהּ: הָכִי הַשְׁתָּא?! הָתָם: אִשָּׁה נִישֵּׂאת, בּוֹדֶקֶת וְנִישֵּׂאת. הָכָא, אִשָּׁה מְזַנָּה בּוֹדֶקֶת וּמְזַנָּה?!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Rava **said to him: How can** these cases **be compared? There,** in the case of the widow, one could say: A **woman** who **marries investigates** the lineage of her prospective husband before the wedding **and** only then **marries.** Therefore, one may rely on her presumptive status of fitness and deem her fit to marry a priest. **Here,** can it be said that **a woman** who **engages in licentious intercourse investigates** the lineage of her partner and only then **engages in licentious intercourse?**


###### Ketubot 14a:6
[Ketubot 14a:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ketubot/r/14a:6)

אָמַר רָבָא: דְּרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אַדְּרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ קַשְׁיָא, דְּרַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אַדְּרַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל לָא קַשְׁיָא? וְהָא קָתָנֵי סֵיפָא: אָמַר לָהֶן רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל: קִבַּלְנוּ עֵדוּתְכֶם, אֲבָל מָה נַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁהֲרֵי גָּזַר רַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי שֶׁלֹּא לְהוֹשִׁיב בֵּית דִּין עַל כָּךְ, שֶׁהַכֹּהֲנִים שׁוֹמְעִין לָכֶם לְרַחֵק אֲבָל לֹא לְקָרֵב.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rava said** with regard to the contradiction that was raised: Is the contradiction between one statement **of Rabbi Yehoshua and** another statement **of Rabbi Yehoshua difficult,** and the contradiction between one statement **of Rabban Gamliel and** another statement **of Rabban Gamliel not difficult? But isn’t it taught in the latter clause** of that mishna with regard to the widow whose late husband was from a priestly family of questionable lineage that **Rabban Gamliel said to them: We accept your testimony** that this is the *halakha*, **but what** can **we do, as Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai decreed not to convene a court for this** purpose of ruling the woman fit, **because the priests obey you** when your ruling calls **to distance** a woman of questionable lineage from marrying them, **but not** when your ruling calls **to bring her near** and deem her fit to marry them. Apparently, Rabban Gamliel did not accept the lenient ruling in the case of the widow, contrary to his statement here that she is accorded credibility.


###### Ketubot 14a:7
[Ketubot 14a:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ketubot/r/14a:7)

אֶלָּא אָמַר רָבָא: דְּרַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אַדְּרַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל לָא קַשְׁיָא: הָתָם — בָּרִי, הָכָא — שֶׁמָּא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rather, Rava said:** The contradiction between one statement **of Rabban Gamliel and** another statement **of Rabban Gamliel is not difficult. There,** in the case of the woman who engaged in intercourse with an unidentified man, her claim that the lineage of the man is unflawed is **a certain** claim. **Here,** in the case of the widow, her claim that his lineage is unflawed is **an uncertain** claim, because there is objective uncertainty with regard to his lineage.


###### Ketubot 14a:8
[Ketubot 14a:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ketubot/r/14a:8)

דְּרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אַדְּרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ נָמֵי לָא קַשְׁיָא: הָתָם — חַד סְפֵיקָא, הָכָא — תְּרֵי סְפֵיקֵי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The contradiction between one statement **of Rabbi Yehoshua and** another statement **of Rabbi Yehoshua is** similarly **not difficult. There,** in the case of the woman who engaged in intercourse with an unidentified man, there is only **one uncertainty:** Is the lineage of the man with whom she engaged in intercourse flawed or unflawed? In the case of one uncertainty, the ruling is stringent. **Here,** in the case of the widow, there are **two uncertainties** with regard to the objective situation. It is established that there is uncertainty with regard to one of the members of the family whether or not he is a *ḥalal*. The first uncertainty is whether her late husband is the member of that family with regard to whom the uncertainty exists. Even if it is established that her late husband is indeed the one with regard to whom the uncertainty exists, there remains an uncertainty whether he is in fact a *ḥalal*.


###### Ketubot 14a:9
[Ketubot 14a:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ketubot/r/14a:9)

הִלְכָּךְ, לְרַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל: אַלִּים לֵיהּ בָּרִי, דַּאֲפִילּוּ בְּחַד סְפֵיקָא נָמֵי מַכְשִׁיר. וְקִיל לֵיהּ שֶׁמָּא, דַּאֲפִילּוּ בִּסְפֵק סְפֵיקָא נָמֵי פָּסֵיל. לְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ: אַלִּים לֵיהּ חַד סְפֵיקָא, דַּאֲפִילּוּ בְּבָרִי נָמֵי פָּסֵיל, וְקִיל לֵיהּ סְפֵק סְפֵיקָא, דַּאֲפִילּוּ בִּשְׁמָא נָמֵי מַכְשִׁיר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Therefore,** according **to Rabban Gamliel, a certain** claim is so **powerful for him that even in** a case where there is **one uncertainty, he also deems her fit** to marry a priest. **And an uncertain** claim is so **insignificant for him that even in** a case where there is **a compound uncertainty, he also deems her unfit** to marry a priest. According **to Rabbi Yehoshua,** a case where there is **one uncertainty** is so **powerful for him that even in** a case where she makes **a certain** claim, **he also deems her unfit. And** the case of **a compound uncertainty is** so **insignificant for him that even if she makes an uncertain** claim, **he also deems her fit.**


###### Ketubot 14a:10
[Ketubot 14a:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ketubot/r/14a:10)

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: אֵיזוֹהִי אַלְמְנַת עִיסָּה? כֹּל שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ לֹא מִשּׁוּם מַמְזֵרוּת, וְלֹא מִשּׁוּם נְתִינוּת, וְלֹא מִשּׁוּם עַבְדֵי מְלָכִים. אָמַר רַבִּי מֵאִיר:

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ Apropos the widow, **the Rabbis taught: Who is the widow** whose late husband was a member **of a** priestly **family of questionable lineage** and is fit to marry a priest? It is one who married into **any** family **that does not have** the status of being unfit, **neither due to** uncertain ***mamzer* status, nor due to** uncertain **Gibeonite status, nor due to** uncertain status as **slaves of kings,** who would force Jewish women, even daughters of priests, to marry them. **Rabbi Meir said:**