In Tractate Ketubot, the Talmud gives us a master class in everlasting love
Sure, the woman consents, but the ‘specter of ownership’ hangs over the relationship. Plus: If you’re buying a woman, what is she actually worth in hard currency?
Why Talmudic law is precise, and how practical matters can test the moral foundations of the system
Settling scores, carving up estates, negotiating claims, in biblical law. Plus: A virgin is worth twice as much as a widow or divorcee.
Inequality under the wedding canopy, in this week’s ‘Daf Yomi’ Talmud study. Plus: a story about cheating the Angel of Death.
If the point of marriage is not happiness but religion, what constitutes grounds for divorce? Plus: tips for grooming pubic hair.
Talmudic rabbis believe ‘the hand of Heaven’ makes sure that the punishment fits the crime
The sages debate the demerits of little white lies, and consider the subtleties of legal claims made by spouses and other property owners
Talmudic rabbis are less interested in mystical speculation than in concrete questions, like the state of women’s hymens
The ‘Daf Yomi’ cycle heads into thorny gender issues around marriage, gynecology, and Sabbath sex
Seven-week course teaches the basics of the ceremony—and Jewish marriage
Sometimes famous people lose their marriage contracts on their wedding day
Julius Bien is remembered for his maps and Audubon lithographs. But his talents were apparent at age 23 in a wedding contract.
When I got engaged—to another rabbi, and another woman—my grandmother’s approval didn’t come easy
The ketubah—the prenup’s antecedent—proves that, although love is ephemeral, a signature is forever
A collection of ketubot at New York’s Jewish Museum prompts the Jewish Theological Seminary’s chancellor to consider marriage contracts from medieval times to our own
While trying on new artistic hat, artist develops series of paper coats
