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Does "kesef" mean currency or silver? Tosafot holds kesef means currency, not merely silver. This creates a fundamental question: if currency has unique properties (it's accepted universally), why does the Mishna include "sheva kesef" (other objects), which the recipient values less? The shiur develops how this machloket between Tosafot and the Ran drives different understandings of monetary obligations throughout Shas.
This shiur explores a foundational Tosafot on Kiddushin 2a that examines the meaning of "kesef" in the Mishna's formulation "ha'isha niknet bi'kesef." The central question is whether kesef means specifically silver coins (as per the Ran) or currency in general (as per Tosafot and other Rishonim like the Rif and Rambam (רמב"ם)). Tosafot opens by asking why the Mishna says "kesef" rather than "sheva kesef" (objects of value). If kesef simply meant silver, the Mishna could have used the broader term. Tosafot's answer reveals a fundamental position: kesef means currency specifically because the Torah (תורה)'s source verse (ki yikach ish isha) uses kesef to indicate the medium of exchange the Torah establishes for kiddushin. The Mishna first states the din as it appears in the Torah (kesef), then elaborates with dinar (for Beit Shammai, who require a higher value) and peruta (for Beit Hillel, who accept even copper coins).
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Kiddushin 2a
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