The 80B-Sit edition, an audio series of the Talmud Bavli, focuses on the study of Masechet Ketubot. This edition has been dedicated by our dear friend Mr. Elliot Shasho, ה׳ ישמרהו ויחייהו Hashem yishmerehu veyachayeyhu. May the זכות zechut of the לימוד limud of Masechet Ketubot stand for him, that he should have בעזרת השם be’ezrat Hashem שנה טובה ומבורכת shana tova umevorechet, אושר וכושר וכבוד osher vechosher vechavod, שלום בית shalom bayit והצלחה בכל מעשי ידיו vehatzlacha bechol ma’asei yadav. And בעזרת השם be’ezrat Hashem, may he continue to be a supporter of תורה Torah and all holy projects, אמן amen.
Today's study, דף פ״א Daf Pe Aleph, is being conducted לעילוי נשמת le’iluy nishmat אברהם בן אסתר Avraham ben Ester, רוח ה׳ תניחנו בגן עדן ruach Hashem tenichenu beGan Eden, אמן amen. This דף daf is also being studied לרפואה שלמה lirefuah sheleimah for יוסף בן שרה Yosef ben Sarah and רחל בת שרה Rachel bat Sarah, א-ל נא רפא נא להם El na refa na lahem בתוך שאר חולי עמו ישראל betoch shear cholei amo Yisrael, אמן amen. Additionally, this דף daf is being studied in honor of מושה Moussa and שילה גינדי Sheila Guindi, ה׳ ישמרם ויחיים Hashem yishmerem veyachayem, dedicated by יוסי Yossi, ה׳ ישמרהו ויחייהו Hashem yishmerehu veyachayeyhu, תזכו למצוות tizku lemitzvot.
We begin today's דף daf on דף פ׳ עמוד ב׳ Daf Pe amud bet, and we are five lines from the bottom starting from the גמרא Gemara. The Gemara opens with a question: שומרת יבם שמתה Shomeret yavam shemeta. In this case, the question arises: מי קוברה Mi koverah? To whom is the obligation to pay for the burial? We must analyze the dynamics of this question. The two possible sides could be the יבם yavam or her father's side, which means her father may have to pay for the כתובה ketubah.
The Gemara must clarify why one might think the יבם yavam is responsible for the burial, and why one might think her father is responsible. The Gemara states: יורשי בעל קברו לה Yorshei ba’al kavru lah, or I could say יורשי הבעל yorshei haba’al. This implies that the heirs of the husband are responsible because they inherit the כתובה ketubah. When she dies, who receives the כתובה ketubah? It remains with the husband’s estate since he did not pay the כתובה ketubah yet.
To review the case: A woman was married, her husband died, and she became a שומרת יבם shomeret yavam. She has not yet received her כתובה ketubah because a שומרת יבם shomeret yavam does not receive the כתובה ketubah until the yibum yibum is performed. After her death, the money designated for the כתובה ketubah goes to the heirs of the husband. Therefore, since the law instituted by the רבנן Rabbanan is that they inherit her כתובה ketubah, they are obligated to pay for her burial expenses.
We learned earlier that קבורתה תחת כתובתה kvuratah tachat ktubatah, meaning that in a normal case, a husband must pay for burial expenses because he benefits from the event of his wife’s death by receiving the כתובה ketubah. Thus, the heirs of the husband should pay for the burial since they are the ones inheriting the כתובה ketubah.
Alternatively, the Gemara presents the other side: או דילמא O dilma? Perhaps we could argue that יורשי אב קברו לה Yorshei av kavru lah. Why? Because they inherit the נכסים הנכנסים והיוצאים עמה Dekai yartei nechasim hanichnasim vehayotzim imah. According to בית הלל Beit Hillel in our משנה mishnah, we learned that נכסי מלוג nichsei melog go to the father. Therefore, one could argue that this case is different from a regular marriage, where the husband inherits everything. In this case, since the נכסי מלוג nichsei melog go to her father, the obligation may fall on him.
This presents a ספק safek in the Gemara regarding who is responsible for the burial expenses. The Gemara examines the opinion of רש״י Rashi and asks: מי קוברה Mi koverah? There are two heirs involved since she is a שומרת יבם Shomeret Yavam. Therefore, the question remains: who holds the obligation?
Next, the Gemara cites a ברייתא Baraita: שומרת יבם שמתה Shomeret Yavam she-metah—the heirs of her כתובה ketubah are required to pay for her burial Yorsheha yorshei ketubatah chayavin bi-kevuratah. Since the husband’s heirs are inheriting the כתובה ketubah, they are obligated to pay for her burial expenses. This ברייתא Baraita provides a clear answer to the original question.
Abaye adds that we learned this in a משנה Mishnah later on: אלמנה ניזונת מנכסי יתומים ומעשי ידיה שלהן Almanah nizonet mi-nichsei yetomim u-ma’aseh yadeha she-lahen. In the case of an אלמנה Almanah, her sustenance comes from the נכסי יתומים nichsei yetomim, the orphans. However, the orphans are not obligated to pay for her burial expenses. Instead, her heirs, those who inherit her כתובה ketubah, are responsible for the burial costs.
Abaye continues by explaining that this case involves a woman with two sets of inheritors. The question arises: ואיזו היא אלמנה שיש לה שני יורשים Ve-eizo hi almanah she-yesh lah shenei yorshim? The answer is: זו שומרת יבם Havei omer zu shomeret yavam. This indicates that she has two sets of heirs—one set from the husband and the other from her father. Thus, the heirs who will receive the כתובה ketubah are the ones responsible for the burial.
Rava raises a challenge against this reasoning: ולימא ליתי יבם Ve-leima leiti Yavam. The yavam could argue: אח אני יורש אשתו אין אני קובר Ach ani yoresh ishto ein ani kover. He could assert that he is not obligated to pay for the burial because he did not inherit the כתובה ketubah from his wife, but rather from his brother. The yavam's position is that he is inheriting the assets of his brother, not those of his wife.
Abaye counters this by stating: משום דבעינן עליה משני צדדין mishum deba’inan aleih mishnei tzdadin. The yavam wants to make such a claim, but he must fulfill the obligations that his brother had. If his brother was required to bury his wife, then the yavam must also fulfill that obligation. Rashi emphasizes that even if she did not bring anything into the marriage, the husband is still obligated to bury her.
Rava responds by clarifying his position: לא ניתנה כתובה לגבות מחיים lo nitnah ketubah ligbot mechayim. He asserts that the כתובה ketubah was not established to be collected while the husband is still alive. Thus, the yavam could argue that he does not owe the burial costs since the obligation of the כתובה ketubah has not yet taken effect.
The Gemara continues to discuss the implications of this argument and the various positions held by different scholars regarding the obligation of the yavam in relation to the burial expenses. It explores the nuances of inheritance and the responsibilities that arise from the complex relationships established through marriage and yibum yibum.
As the discussion unfolds, the Gemara examines the rulings of בית שמאי Beit Shammai and בית הלל Beit Hillel, highlighting the differences in their interpretations of the law. Ultimately, the Gemara seeks to clarify the halachic principles that govern these intricate situations, ensuring that the rulings reflect the underlying justice and compassion inherent in Jewish law.