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Why does Tosfos hold that sfeik sfeika cannot overcome chazaka in some cases but can in others? The shiur develops two fundamental approaches to sfeik sfeika: either it creates "no safek at all" when combining two facts is required for issur, or it works through "two matirim" that must be able to coexist independently.
The Gemara (גמרא) on Kesubos 9b discusses a complex case involving the validity of a woman's marriage and her entitlement to her kesuba. The central tension revolves around when sfeik sfeika (double doubt) can overcome chazaka (presumptive status), with Tosfos appearing to take contradictory positions on different parts of the page. The shiur begins by examining Tosfos's position that with a sfeik sfeika of safek baki/safek eino baki (doubt whether the witness knows what he's talking about), combined with safek ones/safek ratzon (doubt whether relations were forced or consensual), the woman should still be forbidden to her husband. However, Tosfos Yeshanim objects that this is not a proper sfeik sfeika misapach (overlapping double doubt) because one cannot start with safek ones/safek ratzon without first establishing that relations occurred.
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Kesubos 9b
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