daf bit: Kiddushin 8

[cellio]

(The cycle moves this week from Gittin (about divorces) to Kiddushin (about marriages). I wonder why that order and not the other.)

The talmud discusses valid and invalid ways of acquiring a wife, and during the discussion takes a side path into acquiring slaves. The sons of Rabbi Chuna ben Abin bought a slave for copper coins (that is, the price was specified in coins). However, they did not have coins with them, so they left a silver ingot as a pledge. The slave's value then increased and the owner sought to cancel the arrangement. Rav Ammi ruled that the owner could do so, because the buyers had not paid coins and the ingot was not a payment. (8b)

Comments

[dsrtao]

Hypothesis: first divorce, then marriage, because divorce is more stressful and needs more immediate guidance. The happy couple can page through until they find what they are looking for, but the unhappy don't have the patience.

(No source, just an intuition.)

[cellio]

Neat idea.