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Why does "begapo" (unmarried) literally mean "in the corner of his clothing"? Rashi (רש"י) explains that an unmarried person's garment ends at his own body, but when husband and wife become one physical entity, the edge of his clothing reaches her body—they share one garment. This reading reveals the basis for the Gemara (גמרא)'s definition of chuppah as "spreading his tallis over her."
Rabbi Zweig explores an unusual Rashi (רש"י) in Parshas Mishpatim on the phrase "im begapo yavo" (Shemos 21:3), which describes an unmarried Hebrew slave. The Torah (תורה) states that if the slave came in unmarried, he cannot be given a Canaanite maidservant. Rashi translates "begapo" as "lechudihu" (by himself), explaining that "gapo" is the Aramaic word for "wing" or "corner"—specifically, "kanaf bigdo," the corner of his clothing. Rashi writes that an unmarried person "came in single in just wearing his clothes"—meaning the corner of his garment is on his own body alone. The core question is: What does the corner of one's clothing have to do with marital status? Why would being unmarried be defined as having the edge of your garment on yourself? Rabbi Zweig rejects the simple reading that an unmarried person only has the shirt on his back (i.e., no money), noting that the traditional understanding is actually the opposite—unmarried people have more disposable income.
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Shemos 21:3 (Parshas Mishpatim)
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