Commentary for Kiddushin 2:4
הָאוֹמֵר לִשְׁלוּחוֹ, צֵא וְקַדֵּשׁ לִי אִשָּׁה פְלוֹנִית בְּמָקוֹם פְּלוֹנִי, וְהָלַךְ וְקִדְּשָׁהּ בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר, אֵינָהּ מְקֻדֶּשֶׁת. הֲרֵי הִיא בְמָקוֹם פְּלוֹנִי, וְקִדְּשָׁהּ בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר, הֲרֵי זוֹ מְקֻדֶּשֶׁת:
If one said to his messenger: "Go and betroth this and this woman for me in this and this place," and he went and betrothed her in a different place, she is not betrothed. (If he said to him:) "She is in this and this place," and he betrothed her in a different place, she is betrothed. [For he was merely pointing out the place and not making it a condition (of the betrothal).]
Bartenura on Mishnah Kiddushin
הלך וקדשה במקום אחר – He is showing him [i.e., the agent] the place, and this is not a condition.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kiddushin
If he says to his agent, “Go out and betroth to me so-and-so in such and such a place,” and he goes and betroths her elsewhere, she is not betrothed.
“She is in such and such a place,” and he betroths her elsewhere, she is betrothed.
The mishnah now returns to discuss betrothal performed by a person’s agent. Today’s mishnah is nearly identical to Gittin 6:3.
In both sections, a husband appoints an agent to betroth his wife and gives the agent instructions as to where to betroth the woman. If the husband tells the agent to betroth the woman in a certain place, she is not betrothed if the agent betroths her in another place. In such a case we can assume that the husband wanted the betrothal to be performed in that specific place.
However, if the husband merely tells the agent where to find the woman, the husband does not necessarily care if she is really somewhere else. He was only helping the agent locate her. Therefore the betrothal is valid no matter where the agent eventually finds her.
“She is in such and such a place,” and he betroths her elsewhere, she is betrothed.
The mishnah now returns to discuss betrothal performed by a person’s agent. Today’s mishnah is nearly identical to Gittin 6:3.
In both sections, a husband appoints an agent to betroth his wife and gives the agent instructions as to where to betroth the woman. If the husband tells the agent to betroth the woman in a certain place, she is not betrothed if the agent betroths her in another place. In such a case we can assume that the husband wanted the betrothal to be performed in that specific place.
However, if the husband merely tells the agent where to find the woman, the husband does not necessarily care if she is really somewhere else. He was only helping the agent locate her. Therefore the betrothal is valid no matter where the agent eventually finds her.
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