Ketubot

because it was situated on higher ground  and its air was salubrious. On the day when Rabbi died the Rabbis decreed a public fast and offered prayers for heavenly mercy. They. furthermore, announced that whoever said that Rabbi was dead would be stabbed with a sword. Rabbi's handmaid  ascended the roof and prayed: 'The immortals  desire Rabbi [to join them] and the mortals  desire Rabbi [to remain with them]; may it be the will [of God] that the mortals may overpower the immortals'. When, however, she saw how often he resorted to the privy,  painfully taking off his tefillin  and putting them on again, she prayed: 'May it be the will [of the Almighty] that the immortals may overpower the mortals'. As the Rabbis incessantly continued  their prayers for [heavenly] mercy she took up a jar and threw it down from the roof to the ground. [For a moment] they ceased praying  and the soul of Rabbi departed to its eternal rest. 'Go', said the Rabbis to Bar Kappara, 'and investigate'.  He went and, finding that [Rabbi] was dead, he tore his cloak and turned the tear backwards. [On returning to the Rabbis] he began: 'The angels  and the mortals  have taken hold of the holy ark.  The angels overpowered the mortals and the holy ark has been captured'. 'Has he', they asked him, 'gone to his eternal rest?' — 'You', he replied, 'said it; I did not say it'. Rabbi, at the time of his passing, raised his ten fingers towards heaven  and said: 'Sovereign of the Universe, it is revealed and known to you that I have laboured in the study of the Torah with my ten fingers and that I did not enjoy [any worldly] benefits even with my little finger. May it be Thy will that there be peace In my [Jast] resting place'. A bath kol  echoed, announcing, He shall enter into peace; they shall rest on their beds. [Does not] the context require [the singular pronoun:] 'On thy bed'?  This provides support for R. Hiyya b. Gamda. For he stated in the name of R. Jose b. Saul: When a righteous man departs from this world the ministering angels say to the Holy One, blessed be He, 'Sovereign of the Universe, the righteous man So-and-so is coming', and he answers them, 'Let the righteous men come [from their resting places], go forth to meet him, and say to him that he shall enter into peace [and then] they  shall rest on their beds'. R. Eleazar stated: When a righteous man departs from the world he is welcomed by  three companies of ministering angels. One exclaims, 'Come  into peace'; the other  exclaims, He who walketh in his uprightness,  while the third  exclaims, 'He shall enter into peace; they shall rest on their beds'.  When a wicked man perishes from the world he is met  by three groups of angels of destruction. One announces, 'There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked';  the other  tells him, 'He  shall lie down in sorrow',  while the third  tells him, 'Go down and be thou laid with the uncircumcised'. MISHNAH. SO LONG AS SHE LIVES IN HER FATHER'S HOUSE [A WIDOW]  MAY RECOVER HER KETHUBAH AT ANY TIME.  AS LONG, HOWEVER, AS SHE LIVES IN HER HUSBAND'S HOUSE SHE MAY RECOVER HER KETHUBAH ONLY WITHIN  TWENTY-FIVE YEARS, BECAUSE IN THE COURSE OF TWENTY-FIVE YEARS SHE HAS SUFFICIENT OPPORTUNITIES  OF RENDERING  FAVOURS  CORRESPONDING [IN VALUE TO THE AMOUNT OF] HER KETHUBAH; SO R. MEIR WHO LAID DOWN THE RULING IN THE NAME OF R. SIMEON B. GAMALIEL. THE SAGES, HOWEVER, RULED: SO LONG AS SHE LIVES IN HER HUSBAND'S HO USE [A WIDOW]  MAY RECOVER HER KETHUBAH AT ANY TIME,  BUT AS LONG AS SHE LIVES IN HER FATHER'S HOUSE SHE MAY RECOVER HER KETHUBAH ONLY WITHIN  TWENTY-FIVE YEARS.  IF [THE WIDOW] DIED, HER HEIRS MUST MENTION  HER KETHUBAH WITHIN  TWENTY-FIVE YEARS.  GEMARA. Said Abaye to R. Joseph. [Is it logical  that] the poorest woman in Israel [should be allowed to recover her kethubah] ONLY WITHIN TWENTY-FIVE YEARS and Martha the daughter of Boethus  also ONLY WITHIN TWENTY-FIVE As?  — The other replied: In accordance with the camel is the burden. The question was raised: Must she,  according to R. Meir, lose in proportion? — This must stand undecided. THE SAGES, HOWEVER, RULED: SO LONG. Said Abaye to R. Joseph: [Is it reasonable that if] she comes before sunset she may recover her kethubah and that [if she came] after sunset she may not recover it? [Is it likely that] she has surrendered it in that short while? — 'Yes', the other replied. 'all the standards of the Sages are such. In [a bath of] forty se'ah  [for instance] one may perform ritual immersion; In [a bath of] forty se'ah minus one kortob  one may not perform ritual immersion Rab Judah reported in the name of Rab: R. Ishmael son of R. Jose testified in the presence of Rabbi to a statement he made  in the name of his father that [the ruling in our Mishnah] was taught only [in respect of a woman] who produces  no deed of the kethubah but if she produces  the deed of the kethubah she may recover [the amount of] her kethubah at any time.  R. Eleazar, however, ruled: Even if she produces  the deed of the kethubah she may recover the amount within twenty-five years only. R. Shesheth raised an objection: 'A creditor may recover his debt [at any time]. even if there was no mention of it.'  Now, how is this to be understood? If [it refers to a creditor] who holds no bond, whereby [it might be asked] could he recover his debt? Consequently [it must refer to one] who does hold a bond [from which it follows, does It not, that] only a creditor [may recover his due]. because he is not likely to have surrendered his claim, but that a widow  [is deemed to have] surrendered?  — He  raised the objection and he also removed it: This  may, in fact, refer to  one who holds no bond,  but  here we are dealing with a case  where the debtor  admits [his liability].  But, Surely. R. Elai had stated: They  taught. 'A divorced woman has the very same rights as a creditor'.  Now, how are We to understand [this ruling]? If [it refers to a divorcee] who holds no kethubah, whereby [it might be objected] could she recover her due? Consequently [it must refer to one] who does hold a kethubah, [from which it follows, does it not, that] only a divorcee [may recover her kethubah] because she is not likely to have surrendered it, but that a widow [is deemed to have] surrendered?  — Here also [it is a case] where the defendant  admits [the claim]. R. Nahman b. Isaac stated: R. Judah b. Kaza learnt in the Baraitha of the school of Bar Kaza, If she  claimed her kethubah