Welcome to the Judaism community on Codidact!
Will you help us build our community of learners? Drop into our study hall, ask questions, help others with answers to their questions, share a d'var torah if you're so inclined, invite your friends, and join us in building this community together. Not an ask-the-rabbi service, just people at all levels learning together.
Comments on Does a husband have to maintain his wife's bondwomen?
Post
Does a husband have to maintain his wife's bondwomen?
A mishna on Ketubot 59b lists the household tasks a husband may demand of his wife (grinding corn, baking bread, washing his clothes, etc). It then goes on to say that if she brought a bondwoman (into the marriage?) that exempts her from certain of the chores, and if she brings a second then she's exempted from even more, and so on up to four (when she's exempt from everything on the list). R' Eliezer dissents and says that even if she brought a hundred bondwomen she'd have to do one of the chores.
All this got me wondering: who supports these bondwomen? Is a husband automatically obligated to do so, the same as he maintains his wife? Only for ones that predate their marriage (he knew what he was getting into)? Only if this was specifically negotiated? Only up to a certain number (and we assume R' Eliezer is exaggerating)? And if he doesn't, is his wife likely to be able to or would her father somehow still be obligated or what?
1 comment thread