1. Cicero, On Duties, 1.151 (2nd cent. BCE - 1st cent. BCE)
| 1.151. Quibus autem artibus aut prudentia maior inest aut non mediocris utilitas quaeritur, ut medicina, ut architectura, ut doctrina rerum honestarum, eae sunt iis, quorum ordini conveniunt, honestae. Mercatura autem, si tenuis est. sordida putanda est; sin magna et copiosa, multa undique apportans multisque sine vanitate impertiens, non est admodum vituperanda, atque etiam, si satiata quaestu vel contenta potius, ut saepe ex alto in portum, ex ipso portu se in agros possessionesque contulit, videtur iure optimo posse laudari. Omnium autem rerum, ex quibus aliquid acquiritur, nihil est agri cultura melius, nihil uberius, nihil dulcius, nihil homine libero dignius; de qua quoniam in Catone Maiore satis multa diximus, illim assumes, quae ad hunc locum pertinebunt. | 1.151. But the professions in which either a higher degree of intelligence is required or from which no small benefit to society is derived â medicine and architecture, for example, and teaching â these are proper for those whose social position they become. Trade, if it is on a small scale, is to be considered vulgar; but if wholesale and on a large scale, importing large quantities from all parts of the world and distributing to many without misrepresentation, it is not to be greatly disparaged. Nay, it even seems to deserve the highest respect, if those who are engaged in it, satiated, or rather, I should say, satisfied with the fortunes they have made, make their way from the port to a country estate, as they have often made it from the sea into port. But of all the occupations by which gain is secured, none is better than agriculture, none more profitable, none more delightful, none more becoming to a freeman. But since I have discussed this quite fully in my Cato Major, you will find there the material that applies to this point. |
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2. Mishnah, Ketuvot, 4.7 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 4.7. If he did not write a kethubah for her, a virgin still collects two hundred zuz and a widow one mane, because it is a condition laid down by court. If he assigned to her in writing a field that was worth one mane instead of the two hundred zuz and did not write for her, “All property that I possess is a lien for your ketubah”, he is liable [for the full amount] because it is a condition laid down by the court." |
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3. Mishnah, Peah, 4.3, 4.8-4.9, 8.5 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 4.3. If [a poor man] took some of the peah [already collected] and threw it onto the remainder [not yet collected], he gets none of it. If he fell down upon it, or spread his cloak over it, they take the peah away from him. The same applies to gleanings and the forgotten sheaf." 4.8. Similarly one who dedicates his produce prior to the stage when they are subject to tithes and then redeemed them, they are liable [to be tithed]. If [he dedicated them] when they had already become subject to tithes and then redeemed them, they are liable [to be tithed]. If he dedicated them before they had ripened, and they became ripe while in the possession of the [Temple] treasurer, and he then redeemed them, they are exempt, since at the time when they would have been liable, they were exempt." 4.9. One who collected peah and said, “This is for so-and-so a poor man:” Rabbi Eliezer says: he has thus acquired it for him. The sages say: he must give it to the first poor man he finds. Gleanings, the forgotten sheaf and the peah of non-Jews are subject to tithes, unless he [the non-Jew] had declared them ownerless." 8.5. They may not give to the poor from the threshing-floor less than a half-kav of wheat or a kav of barley. R. Meir says: [only] half a kav [of barley]. [They must give] a kav and a half of spelt, a kav of dried figs or a maneh of pressed figs. Rabbi Akiva says: half a maneh. [They must give] half a log of wine. Rabbi Akiva says: a quarter. [They must give] a quarter [log] of oil. Rabbi Akiva says: an eighth. As for other kinds of produce: Abba Shaul says, [they must give enough] so that he can sell it and buy food enough for two meals." |
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4. Tosefta, Ketuvot, 12.1 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
| 12.1. Originally, when her ketubah was with her father, it was light in [her husband's] eyes to divorce her. Shimon ben Shatah decreed that her ketubah should be with her husband and that he should write for her \"All of my property will be mortgaged or pledged for your ketubah\". They do not make a wife's ketubah from moveable items [i.e. they don't make moveable items the thing that she can collect from it, but rather real estate] because of tikkun ha-olam. Said Rabbi Yose: What tikkun ha-olam is there in this!? It is because they [the moveable items] have no fixed value." |
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5. Babylonian Talmud, Ketuvot, 82b (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 82b. מהו דתימא מצוה דרמא רחמנא עליה עבדה והשתא תיקום עליה באיסור אשת אח קא משמע לן,ואימא הכי נמי אמר קרא (דברים כה, ה) ולקחה לו לאשה כיון שלקחה נעשית כאשתו:,בלבד שתהא כתובתה על נכסי בעלה הראשון: מאי טעמא אשה הקנו לו מן השמים,ואי לית לה מראשון אית לה משני כדי שלא תהא קלה בעיניו להוציאה:,לא יאמר לה הרי כתובתיך: מאי וכן,מהו דתימא התם הוא דלא כתב לה דקנאי ודקנינא אבל הכא דכתב לה דקנאי ודקנינא אימא סמכה דעתה קמ"ל:,גרשה אין לה אלא כתובתה: גרשה אין לא גרשה לא קא משמע לן כדרבי אבא:,החזירה הרי היא ככל הנשים ואין לה אלא כתובתה: החזירה מאי קא משמע לן תנינא המגרש את האשה ומחזירה על מנת כתובה ראשונה מחזירה,מהו דתימא אשתו הוא דאיהו כתב לה כתובה מיניה אבל יבמתו דלא איהו כתב לה היכא דגרשה ואהדרה אימא כתובתה מיניה קא משמע לן:,אמר רב יהודה בראשונה היו כותבין לבתולה מאתים ולאלמנה מנה והיו מזקינין ולא היו נושאין נשים עד שבא שמעון בן שטח ותיקן כל נכסיו אחראין לכתובתה:,תניא נמי הכי בראשונה היו כותבין לבתולה מאתים ולאלמנה מנה והיו מזקינין ולא היו נושאין נשים התקינו שיהיו מניחין אותה בבית אביה ועדיין כשהוא כועס עליה אומר לה לכי אצל כתובתיך,התקינו שיהיו מניחין אותה בבית חמיה עשירות עושות אותה קלתות של כסף ושל זהב עניות היו עושות אותה עביט של מימי רגלים,ועדיין כשכועס עליה אומר לה טלי כתובתיך וצאי עד שבא שמעון בן שטח ותיקן שיהא כותב לה כל נכסי אחראין לכתובתה:, br br big strongהדרן עלך האשה /strong /big br br | |
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6. Papyri, P.Murabba'T, 20
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7. Papyri, P.Yadin, 10
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