## Ketubot Daf 26b

###### Ketubot 26b:1
[Ketubot 26b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ketubot/r/26b:1)

וְאַסְּקִינֵּיהּ. וַאֲתוֹ בֵּי תְרֵי וְאָמְרִי: בֶּן גְּרוּשָׁה וּבֶן חֲלוּצָה הוּא, וְאַחֲתִינֵּיהּ. וַאֲתָא עֵד אֶחָד וְאָמַר: יָדַעְנָא בֵּיהּ דְּכֹהֵן הוּא. וּדְכוּלֵּי עָלְמָא מִצְטָרְפִין לְעֵדוּת.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**and** therefore **we elevated** him back to the priesthood, as one witness is sufficient to negate the rumor. **And** then **two** witnesses **came and said: He is the son of a divorced woman or the son of a *ḥalutza*, and** then **we downgraded him** from the priesthood, as two witnesses negated the testimony of one witness. Then **one** witness **came and said: I know that he is a priest** of unflawed lineage. **And everyone agrees** that the two single witnesses **join** together and constitute two witnesses **for** the purpose of **testimony** that he is a priest of unflawed lineage, and fundamentally his presumptive status of priesthood should be restored.


###### Ketubot 26b:2
[Ketubot 26b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ketubot/r/26b:2)

וְהָכָא בְּמֵיחַשׁ לְזִילוּתָא דְבֵי דִינָא קָמִיפַּלְגִי. תַּנָּא קַמָּא סָבַר: כֵּיוָן דְּאַחֲתִינֵּיהּ, לָא מַסְּקִינַן לֵיהּ, חָיְישִׁינַן לְזִילוּתָא דְּבֵי דִינָא. וְרַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל סָבַר: אֲנַן אַחֲתִינַן לֵיהּ וַאֲנַן מַסְּקִינַן לֵיהּ, וּלְזִילוּתָא דְּבֵי דִינָא לָא חָיְישִׁינַן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And here** it is **with regard to concern** that it will lead **to contempt for the court** that **they disagree. The first *tanna*,** Rabbi Eliezer, **holds: Once we downgraded him** from the priesthood, **we do not** then **elevate him. We are concerned** that it will lead **to contempt for the court,** as the reversal in the court decisions create the impression that the court does not know what it is doing. **And Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel holds: We downgrade him** from the priesthood **and we** then **elevate him, and** as for the possibility that it will lead **to contempt for the court, we are not concerned** about it. The primary concern is that the matter be determined based on the relevant testimonies.


###### Ketubot 26b:3
[Ketubot 26b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ketubot/r/26b:3)

מַתְקֵיף לַהּ רַב אָשֵׁי: אִי הָכִי, אֲפִילּוּ תְּרֵי וּתְרֵי נָמֵי!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Ashi** strongly **objects: If so,** if they disagree with regard to contempt for the court, why is it necessary to establish the dispute in a case where the witnesses who testified that he is a priest of unflawed lineage came individually? **If so,** then **even** if **two** witnesses testify together that he is unfit for the priesthood, and the court downgraded him, **and two** witnesses testify together that he is fit for the priesthood, and the court elevated him, the *tanna’im* would **also** disagree, as the same concern for contempt of court applies.


###### Ketubot 26b:4
[Ketubot 26b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ketubot/r/26b:4)

אֶלָּא אָמַר רַב אָשֵׁי: בְּמִצְטָרְפִין לְעֵדוּת קָמִיפַּלְגִי, וּבִפְלוּגְתָּא דְּהָנֵי תַנָּאֵי. דְּתַנְיָא: אֵין עֵדוּתָן מִצְטָרֶפֶת עַד שֶׁיִּרְאוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם כְּאֶחָד. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן קׇרְחָה אוֹמֵר: אֲפִילּוּ בָּזֶה אַחַר זֶה. וְאֵין עֵדוּתָן מִתְקַיֶּימֶת בְּבֵית דִּין עַד שֶׁיָּעִידוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם כְּאֶחָד.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rather, Rav Ashi said:** It is **with regard to** whether two single witnesses **join** together and constitute two witnesses **for** the purpose of **testimony** that **they disagree, and** it is **in the dispute** between **these *tanna’im*** that they disagree, **as it is taught** in a *baraita*: **The testimony** of individual witnesses **merges** into the testimony of two witnesses **only if the two of them saw** the incident transpire together, **as one. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa says:** Their testimony merges **even in** a case where **this** witness saw the incident **after that** witness; **however, the testimony** of witnesses **is validated in court only** if **the two of them testify** together **as one.**


###### Ketubot 26b:5
[Ketubot 26b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ketubot/r/26b:5)

רַבִּי נָתָן אוֹמֵר: שׁוֹמְעִין דְּבָרָיו שֶׁל זֶה הַיּוֹם, וּכְשֶׁיָּבֹא חֲבֵירוֹ לְמָחָר שׁוֹמְעִין דְּבָרָיו.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rabbi Natan says:** They need not even testify together, but even if the court **hears the statement of this** witness **today, and when his fellow** witness **comes tomorrow** the court **hears his statement,** their testimonies merge. Rabbi Eliezer holds in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa, and therefore the testimony of the second witness cannot be merged with the testimony of the first witness and the person remains a *ḥalal*. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel holds that the testimony of the two witnesses that he is a priest of unflawed lineage is merged, and his presumptive status of priesthood is restored, as it was already established that his father is a priest.


###### Ketubot 26b:6
[Ketubot 26b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ketubot/r/26b:6)

**מַתְנִי׳** הָאִשָּׁה שֶׁנֶּחְבְּשָׁה בִּידֵי גוֹיִם, עַל יְדֵי מָמוֹן — מוּתֶּרֶת לְבַעְלָהּ. עַל יְדֵי נְפָשׁוֹת — אֲסוּרָה לְבַעְלָהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**MISHNA:** In the case of **a woman who was imprisoned by gentiles due to a monetary** offense committed by her husband, once she is released after he pays his debt, **she is permitted to her husband,** even if he is a priest. There is no concern that they violated her because their objective is to coerce the husband to pay his debt in exchange for her release. Were they to abuse her, it is possible that he would be unwilling to pay. However, if a woman was imprisoned **due to a capital** offense and sentenced to death, once she is released **she is forbidden to her husband** even if he is not a priest due to the concern that perhaps her captors violated her, and she acquiesced to one of them.


###### Ketubot 26b:7
[Ketubot 26b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ketubot/r/26b:7)

**גְּמָ׳** אָמַר רַב שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר רַב יִצְחָק אָמַר רַב: לֹא שָׁנוּ אֶלָּא שֶׁיַּד יִשְׂרָאֵל תַּקִּיפָה עַל אוּמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם, אֲבָל יַד אוּמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם תַּקִּיפָה עַל עַצְמָן, אֲפִילּוּ עַל יְדֵי מָמוֹן — אֲסוּרָה לְבַעְלָהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**GEMARA:** **Rav Shmuel bar Rav Yitzḥak said** that **Rav said: They taught** this mishna **only** in a case **where the authority of the Jewish people is dominant over the nations of the world,** and the gentiles are law-abiding citizens. **However, when the authority of the nations of the world is dominant over themselves,** a euphemism for dominance over the Jewish people, **even** a woman who was imprisoned **due to a monetary** offense **is forbidden to her husband,** as there is nothing preventing her jailers from violating her.


###### Ketubot 26b:8
[Ketubot 26b:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ketubot/r/26b:8)

מֵתִיב רָבָא: הֵעִיד רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַכֹּהֵן וְרַבִּי זְכַרְיָה בֶּן הַקַּצָּב עַל בַּת יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהוּרְהֲנָה בְּאַשְׁקְלוֹן, וְרִיחֲקוּהָ בְּנֵי מִשְׁפַּחְתָּהּ, וְעֵדֶיהָ מְעִידִים אוֹתָהּ שֶׁלֹּא נִסְתְּרָה וְשֶׁלֹּא נִטְמָאָה. וְאָמְרוּ לָהֶם חֲכָמִים: אִם אַתֶּם מַאֲמִינִים שֶׁהוּרְהֲנָה — הַאֲמִינוּ שֶׁלֹּא נִסְתְּרָה וְשֶׁלֹּא נִטְמָאָה, וְאִם אִי אַתֶּם מַאֲמִינִים שֶׁלֹּא נִסְתְּרָה וְשֶׁלֹּא נִטְמָאָה — אַל תַּאֲמִינוּ שֶׁהוּרְהֲנָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rava raised an objection** from a mishna (*Eduyyot* 8:2): **Rabbi Yosei the priest and Rabbi Zekharya ben HaKatzav testified about a Jewish woman** about **whom** witnesses testified that **she was taken as collateral** for a debt **in Ashkelon. And the members of her family,** who suspected that she engaged in intercourse there, **distanced themselves from her, but her witnesses testified about her that she neither entered into seclusion nor was violated. And the Sages said** to the members of the family: **If you deem** the witnesses **credible** to testify **that she was taken as collateral, deem** the witnesses **credible** to testify **that she neither entered into seclusion nor was violated. And if you do not deem** the witnesses **credible** to testify **that she neither entered into seclusion nor was violated, do not deem** the witnesses **credible** to testify **that she was taken as collateral** at all. In either case, she is permitted to her husband.


###### Ketubot 26b:9
[Ketubot 26b:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ketubot/r/26b:9)

וְהָא אַשְׁקְלוֹן, דְּיַד אוּמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם תַּקִּיפָה עַל עַצְמָן, וְקָתָנֵי:

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Rava asks: **But** this took place in **Ashkelon, which** is a place **where the authority of the nations of the world is dominant over themselves,** as it was a city of gentiles, **and it is taught:**