Commentary for Yevamot 15:3

בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים, תִּנָּשֵׂא וְתִטֹּל כְּתֻבָּתָהּ. בֵּית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, תִּנָּשֵׂא וְלֹא תִטֹּל כְּתֻבָּתָהּ. אָמְרוּ לָהֶן בֵּית שַׁמַּאי, הִתַּרְתֶּם עֶרְוָה חֲמוּרָה, לֹא תַתִּירוּ אֶת מָמוֹן הַקַּל. אָמְרוּ לָהֶן בֵּית הִלֵּל, מָצִינוּ שֶׁאֵין הָאַחִים נִכְנָסִים לַנַּחֲלָה עַל פִּיהָ. אָמְרוּ לָהֶם בֵּית שַׁמַּאי, וַהֲלֹא מִסֵּפֶר כְּתֻבָּתָהּ נִלְמֹד, שֶׁהוּא כוֹתֵב לָהּ, שֶׁאִם תִּנָּשְׂאִי לְאַחֵר, תִּטְּלִי מַה שֶׁכָּתוּב לִיכִי. וְחָזְרוּ בֵית הִלֵּל לְהוֹרוֹת כְּדִבְרֵי בֵית שַׁמָּאי:

Beth Shammai say: She marries and she takes her kethubah (payment). Beth Hillel say: She marries and does not take her kethubah — whereupon Beth Shammai said to them: You permitted an ervah, which is more stringent, and you did not permit money, which is less stringent! Beth Hillel answered: We have found that her brothers do not enter the inheritance [of her husband] by her testimony, [it being written (Deuteronomy 19:15): "By word of two witnesses, etc.", but vis-à-vis her marrying, the rabbis were lenient, so that she not remain an agunah.] Beth Shammai rejoined: But should we not learn (the ruling) from the scroll of her kethubah, [i.e., from the formula of the kethubah deed], where he writes to her: "If you marry another, take what is written (over) to you," [and she did remarry, wherefore she should take her kethubah!] — whereupon Beth Hillel retracted (their ruling) to rule according to Beth Shammai.

Explore commentary for Yevamot 15:3. In-depth commentary and analysis from classical Jewish sources.