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If a man betroths a woman with an object whose value he states but which may not be worth what he claims, is she betrothed? The shiur analyzes the dispute between Rava and Rav Yosef on whether expert appraisal (shuma) is required, exploring Rashi (רש"י)'s interpretation that the requirement depends on whether the man specified a monetary value or simply gave the object itself.
This shiur examines Kiddushin 7b, focusing on the Gemara (גמרא)'s discussion of whether a woman becomes betrothed when a man gives her an object for kiddushin but its actual value is uncertain. The central dispute is between Rava, who holds "lo tzrich shuma" (no expert appraisal is needed), and Rav Yosef, who holds "tzrich shuma" (expert appraisal is required). The Gemara introduces this dispute in the context of a case where someone says "Harei at mekudeshes li b'chamishim" (behold you are betrothed to me with fifty) and gives an object, but the object's actual worth is unclear. Rabbi Zweig begins by analyzing Rashi (רש"י)'s understanding of the basic case. According to Rashi, when the man says "I am betrothing you with fifty zuz" and gives her an object, he wants the object to be taken as payment for the fifty zuz. The question is whether this requires a formal shuma (expert appraisal) beforehand. Rashi explains that Rav Yosef requires that the appraisal be done before the kiddushin takes place - if no appraisal was done beforehand, she is not betrothed even if we later discover the object was indeed worth fifty. Rava disagrees and holds that no prior appraisal is needed because "we know what it's worth."
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Kiddushin 7b
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