Kesubos - Daf 17
- כיצד מרקדים לפני הכלה
It was taught in a Baraisa: כיצד מרקדין לפני הכלה – How do we dance before the kallah, which Rashi explains means, what do we say in her presence? Beis Shammai say: כלה כמות שהיא – We praise the bride as she is, which Rashi says we praise her according to her actual beauty and chashivus. But Beis Hillel say: כלה נאה וחסודה – In all cases we say that she is a beautiful and charming bride. Beis Shammai said to Beis Hillel: If she is lame or blind, are you going to say that she is a כלה נאה וחסודה? But the Torah says: "מדבר שקר תרחק" – Distance yourself from falsehood. Beis Hillel responded: According to your view, if someone made a bad purchase in the shuk, ישבחנו בעיניו או יגננו בעיניו – are you going to praise it in his eyes or denigrate it in his eyes? You would certainly praise it in his eyes. מכאן אמרו חכמים לעולם תהא דעתו של אדם מעורבת עם הבריות – From this statement of Beis Hillel the Chochomim said: A person’s mind should always be compatible with people.
- We are mevatel Talmud Torah to escort the deceased and accompany a kallah
It was taught in a Baraisa: מבטלין תלמוד תורה להוצאת המת ולהכנסת הכלה – We are mevatel Talmud Torah to carry the dead out to burial, and to accompany a kallah to the chuppah, and it was said about Rebbe Yehudah bar Ilai that he would do so. When does this apply? בשאין שם כל צורכו אבל יש שם כל צורכו אין מבטלין – When there are not a sufficient number of people doing so, but when the number of people is sufficient, one may not be mevatel his learning. The Gemara asks what is considered a sufficient number of people to honor a deceased, and Rav Shmuel bar Inya said in the name of Rav, תריסר אלפי גברי ושיתא אלפי שיפורי – twelve thousand men and six thousand men with shofars, for a total of eighteen thousand people. Some say: Twelve thousand men, among whom are six thousand with shofars. Ulla said: If there are crowds of men from the town gate to the cemetery. Rav Sheishess said: כנתינתה כך נטילתה – Just like the Torah’s giving, so too should be its removal. מה נתינתה בששים ריבוא אף נטילתה בששים ריבוא – Just as its giving was done in front of six hundred thousand men, so too its removal should be in front of six hundred thousand men. Ulla adds that this only applies to someone who learned Chumash or Mishnah but did not teach it to others. But for one who did teach Mishnah, there is no limit.
- What is a הינומא?
The Mishnah had stated: ואם יש עדים שיצתה בהינומא – That if there are witnesses that the kallah went out with a hinumah to indicate she is a besulah, she receives a kesubah of two hundred zuz. The Gemara asks what is a hinuma? Surchav bar Pappa said in the name of Zeiri: תנורא דאסא – It is a round canopy of hadasim. Rebbe Yochanan said: קריתא דמנמנה בה כלתא – It is a veil in which the bride dozes. Rashi explains that since the eyes are covered by the veil, she sometimes dozes behind it. The term hinuma is related to תנומה – which is Hebrew for slumber. Rebbe Yochanan ben Berokah said that distributing parched grain was also proof that the kallah is a besulah. In Bavel the proof that a kallah was a besulah was rubbing oil on the heads of the Rabbinic students.
