Ketubot

It was stated: Rab Nahman said [that] Samuel said in the name of R. Simeon b. Eleazar: The scholars ordained for the daughters of Israel [as follows]: for a maiden two hundred [zuz] and for a widow a maneh  [one hundred zuz].  And they trusted him, so that when he said, 'I have found an open opening', he is believed.  If so, what have the Sages accomplished with their ordinance?  — Said Raba: The presumption is [that] no one will take the trouble of preparing a [wedding-]feast and will then spoil it.  One has taught: Since it  is a fine [instituted] by the sages she  shall collect only from the worst land  [of the husband's estate]. [You say] a fine! Why a fine?  — Say then: since it is an ordinance of the sages,  she shall collect only from the worst land [of the husband's estate]. Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel says: The kethubah of a wife is from the Torah.  But did Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel say so? Surely it has been taught: [It is written in the Torah] He shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins;  [this teaches us that] this  is [as much] as the dowry of the virgins  and the dowry of the virgins is [as much] as this.  But,  the Sages found a support for [the rule that] the kethubah of a wife is from the Torah. Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel Says: The kethubah of a wife is not from the words of the Bible, but from the words of the Soferim!  — Reverse it.  And why does it appear to you right to reverse  the latter [teaching]? Reverse the former [teaching]!  — We have [already] heard that R. Simeon the son of Gamaliel said that the kethubah is from the Bible, for we learnt: Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel says: He  gives her  [the kethubah] in Cappadocian coins.  And if you wish, you may say: The whole of it  is [according to] Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel. only  it is defective  and it teaches thus:  Here the Sages found a support for [the rule that] the kethubah of a wife is from the Torah. The kethubah of a widow [however] is not from the words of the Torah but from the words of the Soferim, for Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel Says: The kethubah of a widow is not from the words of the Torah but from the words of the Soferim. Someone came before R. Nahman [and] said to him: I have found an open opening.  R. Nahman answered:  Lash him with palm-switches; harlots  lie prostrate before him.  But it is R. Nahman who said that he [the husband] is believed!  — He is believed, but [at the same time] one lashes him with palm-switches. R. Ahai answered: Here  [it speaks] of a young man,  there [it speaks] of one who was married before. Some one came before Rabban Gamaliel [and] said to him, I have found an 'open opening'. He [Rabban Gamaliel] answered him: Perhaps you moved aside.  I will give you an illustration: To what is this like? To a man who was walking in the deep darkness of the night  [and came to his house and found the door locked];  if he moves aside [the bolt  of the door] he finds it open, if he does not move aside [the bolt of the door] he finds it locked. Some say [that] he [R. Gamaliel] answered him thus: Perhaps you moved aside wilfully  and you tore away the door and the bar.  I will give you an illustration: To what is this like? To a man who was walking in the deep darkness of the night [and came to his house and found the door locked]; if he moves aside [the bolt of the door] wilfully  he finds it open, if he does Some one came before Rabban Gamaliel the son of Rabbi [and] said to him, 'My master, I have had intercourse [with my newly-wedded wife] and I have not found any blood.' She [the wife] said to him, 'My master, I was a virgin.' He said to them: Bring me that cloth.45  They brought him the cloth, and he soaked it in water and he washed it and he found on it a good many drops of blood.46  [Thereupon] he [Rabban Gamaliel] said to him [the husband]: Go, be happy with thy bargain.  Huna Mar the son of Raba of Parazika,  said to R. Ashi: Shall we also do it?  He answered him: