קידושין סה

When the חתם סופר was only eight years old, he was asked “We know בעל דין that קידושין requires two עדים. How then did אדם הראשון מקדש חוה, when there wasn’t even one עד?” The young boy thought for a moment and responded: “The גמרא קידושין notes that the requirement of two עדים for קידושין is learned from monetary law and therefore, as in matters of ממון where הודאת בעל דין כמאה עדים דמי, in קידושין as well we should be able to dispense with the witnesses and rely on הודאת בעל דין. The גמרא answers that קידושין is not like ממון in this regard because in monetary matters הודאת בעל דין obligates only the debtor himself, but in קידושין the הודאה obligates not merely the בעל דין, but also his and and his wife’s relatives, for whom he is אסור.” Therefore, the חתם סופר explained, since אדם and חוה did not have any relatives, they obligated only themselves and in that situation matters of הודאת בעל דין כמאה עדים דמי applied and the קידושין is תופס even without עדים.

06/10/2021