Thursday, March 29, 2007

Daf Yomi - Moed Katan 18 - HEAVENLY VOICE REGARDING MARRIAGE

The Gemora states: Every day, a Heavenly voice pronounces: “The daughter of this individual is designated for that man.”

Why when it is referring to the woman does it say, “The daughter of this man,” and when it is referring to the man, it says “that man”?

Tal Chaim answers: The Torah gives the right to the father to marry off his daughter and to receive the money; this right does not apply for his son.

Others answer based on Tosfos in Sotah (2a) which states that this Heavenly voice is issued forty days before the formation of the boy. At this point in time, the girl is not in existence yet and therefore it only mentions her father.

Kometz Mincha offers an alternative answer: The Gemora Bava Basra (109b) states that a man should investigate the woman’s father and her family. Regarding a woman, on the other hand, the Gemora in Kiddushin (7a) states: A woman would rather grow old together with a husband than alone, no matter whom the man might be and therefore his family is not mentioned.

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't remember where this is, but I heard that a women is more a product of the home, i.e. she is less likely to go away for yeshiva and the like, than a boy.