Kiddushin - Daf 49
- בשבח יוחסין דברי הכל אינה מקודשת
Ulla said that the machlokes of the Mishnah (regarding a woman who received something of greater value than what she agreed to accept for kiddushin) only pertains to a monetary advantage, אבל בשבח יוחסין – but where the mistake concerns an advantage in lineage, דברי הכל אינה מקודשת – everyone agrees she is not married, because she may say: מסאנא דרב מכרעאי לא בעינא – a shoe which is too big for my foot, I do not need (i.e., she may not want a husband of greater stature). Rav Ashi says this is supported by the next Mishnah, which says that if a man says, “Marry me on condition I am a Kohen,” and he was discovered to be a Levi, or the reverse, or on condition he is a nasin and turned out to be a mamzer, or the reverse (the second of each case being an advantage), the kiddushin is ineffective. Here, Rebbe Shimon is not quoted as saying the kiddushin is effective where the mistake is to her advantage, indicating that he agrees in these cases, as Ulla said.
- על מנת שאני חכם, גבור, עשיר, וצדיק
A Baraisa lists numerous terms that a man may say about himself in a condition to kiddushin and defines them. If he says, " על מנת שאני חכם"- on condition I am a wise person, he does not need to be as wise as the Sages of Yavneh but must be able to answer any question requiring reason. If he says, “on condition I am a גבור – strong person,” he only needs to be feared by his colleagues on account of his strength. If he says, “on condition I am a wealthy man,” he only needs to be honored by his townspeople on account of his wealth. If he said, “on condition that I am a צדיק – righteous person,” אפילו רשע גמור מקודשת – even if he has been a thoroughly wicked person until now, she is married (out of doubt), שמא הרהר תשובה בדעתו – for perhaps a thought of repentance entered his mind, in which case he is indeed a tzaddik. If he said, “on condition I am a רשע – wicked person,” אפילו צדיק גמור מקודשת – even if he has been a thoroughly righteous person until now, she is married (out of doubt), שמא הרהר דבר עבודת כוכבים בדעתו – for perhaps a thought of idolatry entered his mind, rendering him a rasha.
- עשרה קבים...ירדו לעולם, תשעה נטלה... ואחד כל העולם כולו
The Gemara lists fourteen traits, and notes that nine-tenths of each trait descended to a particular group or land. It begins: עשרה קבים חכמה ירדו לעולם – Ten measures of wisdom descended to the world; תשעה נטלה ארץ ישראל – Eretz Yisroel took nine of them, ואחד כל העולם כולו – and the rest of the world took the remaining one. Ten measures of beauty descended to the world; Yerushalayim took nine of them, and the rest of the world took the remaining one. The early Romans took nine-tenths of the wealth which descended to the world, and Bavel took nine-tenths of the poverty which descended to the world. Eilam took nine-tenths of the arrogance which descended to the world, and the Gemara discusses the implication that arrogance did not descend to Bavel. The Gemara concludes that women took nine-tenths of שיחה – conversation, Ethiopians took nine-tenths of drunkenness, and slaves took nine-tenths of sleep.
