Shulchan Aruch, Even HaEzer Siman 68

Siman 68

Presented here for study, not as a practical ruling. The Shulchan Aruch rules by Sephardi custom, the Rema's glosses by Ashkenazi custom, and the Kitzur follows Ashkenazi custom. For a practical question, ask your rabbi.

א כָּל בְּתוּלָה שֶׁכְּתֻבָּתָהּ מָאתַיִם יֵשׁ לָהּ טַעֲנַת בְּתוּלִים. וְכָל שֶׁכְּתֻבָּתָהּ מָנֶה, אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא תִּקְּנוּ לָהּ כְּתֻבָּה, אֵין לָהּ טַעֲנַת בְּתוּלִים. וְכָל הַמִּתְיַחֵד עִם אֲרוּסָתוֹ קֹדֶם נִשּׂוּאִין, אֵין לָהּ טַעֲנַת בְּתוּלִים:

1 Any virgin whose Ketubah is 200 [zuz] is subject to "the claim of virginity." Any [virgin] whose Ketubah is 100 [zuz], or if she was not ordained to receive a Ketubah, is not subject to "the claim of virginity." Any man who secludes himself with his betrothed before marriage is not granted "the claim of virginity."

ב אִם מִנְהַג הַמָּקוֹם לְהַעֲמִיד עֵדִים לְמַשְׁמֵשׁ שֶׁלֹּא יִנְהֲגוּ מִנְהַג רַמָּאוּת, וְאֵרַע הַדָּבָר שֶׁלֹּא הֶעֱמִידוּ עֵדִים, אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִטְעֹן טַעֲנַת בְּתוּלִים:

2 If the practice of the locale was to appoint witnesses to examine [the bride and groom], so that they don't employ a practice of trickery, and it happened that they did not appoint witnesses, then he cannot lodge a claim about [her] virginity.

ג שְׁנֵי סִימָנִים יֵשׁ לִבְתוּלָה: הָאֶחָד, דָּמִים שׁוֹתְתִים מִמֶּנָּה בְּסוֹף בִּיאָה רִאשׁוֹנָה; וְהַשֵּׁנִי, דֹּחַק שֶׁנִּמְצָא בָּהּ בְּבִיאָה רִאשׁוֹנָה בִּשְׁעַת תַּשְׁמִישׁ. טַעֲנַת דָּמִים יֶשְׁנָה בֵּין בִּקְטַנָּה בֵּין בִּגְדוֹלָה, אֲבָל טַעֲנַת פֶּתַח פָּתוּחַ אֵינָהּ טַעֲנָה בְּבוֹגֶרֶת:

3 Two signs distinguish a virgin [from a non virgin]: first, she bleeds after her initial sexual intercourse; and second, it requires pressure to penetrate her during the first sexual intercourse. A claim regarding [the absence of] blood is valid for both a young or older [virgin], but a claim that her [vaginal] passage was open is not valid for the older.

ד טָעַן וְאָמַר: לֹא מְצָאתִיהָ בְּתוּלָה, וְהִיא אוֹמֶרֶת: לֹא בָּא עָלַי וַעֲדַיִן אֲנִי בְּתוּלָה, בּוֹדְקִין אוֹתָהּ עַל פִּי חָבִית שֶׁל יַיִן (טוּר), אוֹ מִתְיַחֵד עִמָּהּ בִּפְנֵי עֵדִים וְחוֹזֵר וּבוֹעֵל:

4 [In a case where] he claims and says, "I did not find her [to be] a virgin," and she says, "He did not [yet] have sexual relations with me and I am still a virgin," [then] we check her (over the opening of a barrel of wine (Tur)) or he secludes himself with her in front of witnesses and goes back and has intercourse.

ה טָעַן טַעֲנַת דָּמִים, אִם הָיְתָה מִמִּשְׁפַּחַת דּוֹרְקָטִי (פֵּרוּשׁ, דּוֹר קָטוּעַ, כְּלוֹמַר מִשְׁפָּחָה שֶׁל עַקָרִים שֶׁעַל יָדָהּ הַדּוֹר קָטוּעַ מִבָּנִים), הֲרֵי זוֹ בְּחֶזְקָתָהּ; וְאִם לָאו, בּוֹדְקִין אוֹתָהּ שֶׁמָּא חֹלִי גָּדוֹל יֵשׁ בָּהּ שֶׁיִּבֵּשׁ לַחְלוּחִית הָאֵבָרִים, אוֹ שֶׁהָיְתָה מִתְעַנֵּית בְּרָעָב, וּמַכְנִיסִין אוֹתָהּ לְמֶרְחָץ וּמַרְטִיבִין אוֹתָהּ וּמַאֲכִילִין וּמַשְׁקִין אוֹתָהּ עַד שֶׁתִּבָּעֵל שֵׁנִית וְנִרְאֶה אִם תּוֹצִיא דָּם. וְאִם אֵין שָׁם חֹלִי וְלֹא רָעָב וְכַיּוֹצֵא בּוֹ, הֲרֵי זוֹ טַעֲנָה:

5 If a man makes the 'claim of [the absence of] blood'; if she is from the Dorkati family Rema: that is, "the cut off generation," the family of barren women, because of her the generation produces no children she retains her former status. If she is not, we inspect her for perhaps some grave illness caused her to have desiccated limbs, or perhaps she was malnourished. We bring her to the bathhouse and salve her and provide her with food and drink before she has intercourse a second time, and then we see of she produces blood. If she is not ill or famished, or the like, this is a legitimate claim....

ו טָעַן טַעֲנַת פֶּתַח פָּתוּחַ, אוֹמְרִים לוֹ: שֶׁמָּא הִטֵּיתָ אוֹ לֹא בָּעַלְתָּ בְּנַחַת, וּלְפִיכָךְ לֹא הִרְגַּשְׁתָּ בַּדֹּחַק. אִם אָמַר: לֹא כִּי, אֶלָּא פֶּתַח פָּתוּחַ מָצָאתִי, הֲרֵי זוֹ טַעֲנָה אִם לֹא בָּגְרָה עֲדַיִן. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ לֹא בָּגְרָה, אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִטְעֹן טַעֲנַת פֶּתַח פָּתוּחַ אִם מָצָא דָּם. יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּטַעֲנַת פֶּתַח פָּתוּחַ לֹא יוּכַל לִטְעֹן רַק נָשׂוּי, אֲבָל בָּחוּר לֹא, וְאַדְּרַבָּה, מַלְקִין אוֹתוֹ כְּשֶׁטּוֹעֵן כָּךְ, דְּמֵאַחַר שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה נָשׂוּי מִתְּחִלָּה אֵינוֹ בָּקִי בְּכָךְ (טוּר):

6 If he claims to have found an "open door" [i.e. he questions her virginity], we say to him, "Perhaps you entered at an angle, or you were not sufficiently patient, and you therefore could not feel the pressure." If he says, "That is not the case, I found an open door!" this is a legitimate claim if she has not yet reached full maturity. Some authorities say that even if she is not yet fully matures he cannot claim to found an 'open door' if he found blood. Rema: Some authorities say that only a [previously] married man can make the claim of an 'open door', but not a bachelor. On the contrary, we flog [a bachelor] for making the claim; since he was not previously married he is not an expert in this matter.

ז כְּשֶׁאָמְרוּ שֶׁטַּעֲנָתוֹ עַל הַבְּתוּלִים טַעֲנָה, אִם הוּא כֹּהֵן הֲרֵי הִיא אֲסוּרָה עָלָיו, וְאִם הִיא אֵשֶׁת יִשְׂרָאֵל מֻתֶּרֶת לוֹ, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן קִבֵּל בָּהּ אָבִיהָ קִדּוּשִׁין פָּחוֹת מִשָּׁלשׁ שָׁנִים וְיוֹם אֶחָד. הַגָּה: וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים הָא דְּנֶאֶסְרָה בְּאֵשֶׁת יִשְׂרָאֵל, דַּוְקָא כְּשֶׁאֵינָהּ מְתָרֶצֶת עַצְמָהּ, אֲבָל אָמְרָה: נֶאֱנַסְתִּי, נֶאֱמֶנֶת (טוּר). וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים עוֹד, דְּדַוְקָא שֶׁהִיא גְּדוֹלָה לְפָנֵינוּ, אֲבָל אִם הִיא עֲדַיִן קְטַנָּה, אֵינָהּ נֶאֱסֶרֶת (בֵּית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם רַשִׁ"י, וְכֵן נִרְאֶה מִדִּבְרֵי הָרַ"ן). וְעַיֵּן לְקַמָן סִימָן קע"ח סָעִיף ג':

7 When they said that his claim about the virginity is a [valid] claim, if he is a priest, she is forbidden to him, and if she is the wife of an Israelite, she is permitted to him, unless her father accepted for her a betrothal at less than three years and one day of age. gloss: And some say that that, that she is forbidden when she is a wife of an Israelite is only when she does not explain herself, but if she says, 'I was raped', she is believed (Tur). And some say as well, that [it is] only when she is mature in front of us, but when she is still a child, she is not forbidden (Bet Yosef in the name of RaShi, and so it seems from the words of the Ran). And see later section 178, article 3:

ח אַף כְּשֶׁאָמְרוּ שֶׁטַּעֲנָתוֹ עַל הַבְּתוּלִים טַעֲנָה, אֵינָהּ מַפְסֶדֶת אֶלָּא עִקַּר כְּתֻבָּה, אֲבָל הַתּוֹסֶפֶת יֵשׁ לָהּ, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן נוֹדַע בִּרְאָיָה בְּרוּרָה שֶׁהָיְתָה בְּעוּלָה, אוֹ שֶׁהוֹדֵית לוֹ שֶׁהִיא בְּעוּלָה קֹדֶם שֶׁתִּתְאָרֵס, וְהִטְעַתּוּ. לְפִיכָךְ, יֵשׁ לוֹ לְהַשְׁבִּיעָהּ בִּנְקִיטַת חֵפֶץ, כְּדִין כָּל הַנִּשְׁבָּעִים וְנוֹטְלִים, וְאַחַר כָּךְ תִּגְבֶּה הַתּוֹסֶפֶת. וְיֵשׁ לָהּ לְהַחֲרִים סְתָם עַל מִי שֶׁטָּעַן עָלֶיהָ שֶׁקֶר:

8 Even in cases where they said the he has a legitimate claim against her virginity, she only loses the primary Ketubah; she is still given the additional amount, unless we know with a clear proof that she had previously had intercourse [before she was betrothed], or if she admits that she had intercourse before she was betrothed, and she tricked him. Therefore, he can make her take an oath while holding a sacred article, like anyone who must take an oath before collecting a sum, and then she may collect the additional amount. She should issue a generic edict of excommunication against anyone who made a false claim against her.

ט כְּשֶׁטָּעַן שֶׁלֹּא מְצָאָהּ בְּתוּלָה, אִם אָמְרָה: מֻכַּת עֵץ אֲנִי, נֶאֱמֶנֶת, וְתַחֲזֹר כְּתֻבָּתָהּ לְמָנֶה. וְיֵשׁ לוֹ לְהַחֲרִים סְתָם, שֶׁלֹּא בָּא עָלֶיהָ אִישׁ. וְאִם אָמְרָה: מִשֶּׁאֵרַסְתַּנִי נֶאֱנַסְתִּי, הֲרֵי זוֹ נֶאֱמֶנֶת וּכְתֻבָּתָהּ מָאתַיִם כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיְתָה. וְאִם טָעַן: שֶׁמָּא עַד שֶׁלֹּא אֵרַסְתִּיךְ נֶאֱנַסְתְּ, אוֹ שֶׁמָּא אַחַר שֶׁאֵרַסְתִּיךְ נִבְעַלְתְּ בִּרְצוֹנֵךְ, הֲרֵי זוֹ מַחֲרִים סְתָם עַל מִי שֶׁטּוֹעֵן שֶׁקֶר כְּדֵי לְחַיְּבוֹ מָמוֹן. כָּל מִי שֶׁטּוֹעֵן טַעֲנַת בְּתוּלִים וְטַעֲנָתוֹ טַעֲנָה, אִם רוֹצֶה לְקַיְּמָהּ אַחַר כָּךְ כּוֹתֵב לָהּ כְּתֻבָּה מָנֶה (טוּר):

9 When he claims he did not find her a virgin, if she says I am one who has been injured by a tree', she is believed, and her marriage document returns to a maneh (100). And he should announce plainly that a man did not have intercourse with her. And if she says, 'from the time that you rendered me betrothed, I was raped', behold she is believed and her marriage document is 200, as she was. And if he claims, 'perhaps before I rendered you betrothed, you were raped, or maybe after I rendered you betrothed, you had intercourse willingly, he announces plainly against anyone who claims falsely in order to make him liable of [paying] money. Whoever makes a claim about virginity and his claim is a [valid] claim, if he wants to keep her afterwards, he writes her a marriage document of a maneh (Tur)

י עַד מָתַי יֵשׁ לוֹ לִטְעֹן טַעֲנַת בְּתוּלִים, אִם נִסְתְּרָה (עִמּוֹ) מִיָּד; אִם לֹא נִסְתְּרָה, אֲפִלּוּ לְאַחַר שְׁלשִׁים יוֹם:

10 Until when does he have a claim of virginity, if she is concealed (with him), immediately: if she was not concealed, even after 30 days:

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