Mishnah Keritot 2:5-6

Sugya Map

• Issue: Defining the unique halakhic status and identity of the shifcha charufa (espoused maidservant) mentioned in Vayikra 19:20-22, and its implications for korbanot.
• Nafka Mina:
  • Why she brings an asham for intentional transgression, unlike other arayot who incur karet or chatat.
  • Her distinct liability regarding malkot (lashes) and karet.
  • The nature of her kiddushin (betrothal) and get (divorce).
• Primary Sources: Mishnah Keritot 2:6, Vayikra 19:20-22.

Text Snapshot

Mishnah Keritot 2:6:

"מִי הִיא שִׁפְחָה חֲרוּפָה? כֹּל שֶׁהִיא חֲצִיָּהּ שִׁפְחָה וַחֲצִיָּהּ בַּת חוֹרִין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: 'וְהִפְדֵּה לֹא נִפְדָּתָה' — דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה. רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר: שִׁפְחָה וַדָּאִית. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב אוֹמֵר: כָּל הָעֲרָיוֹת מְפֹרָשׁוֹת, וּמַה שִׁיּוּר אֵין לָנוּ אֶלָּא שֶׁחֲצִיָּהּ שִׁפְחָה וַחֲצִיָּהּ בַּת חוֹרִין."

Dikduk/Leshon Nuance: The phrase "והפדה לא נפדתה" (and she was redeemed, but not redeemed) is the textual lynchpin. R' Yehuda's derashah hinges on this apparent contradiction or partiality, leading to the "חצייה שפחה וחצייה בת חורין" (half-maidservant, half-free) status. R' Yishmael reads it as idiomatic, implying a full maidservant. "שיור" (exception/remainder) for R' Eliezer ben Yaakov highlights the unique nature of this maidservant compared to other arayot.

Readings

Rambam (Mishnah Commentary)

Rambam explains that "והפדה לא נפדתה" implies partial kiddushin, specifically to a Hebrew slave, which is strong enough to forbid her but insufficient to incur karet. This unique hybrid status, aligning with R' Akiva (whom Rambam rules like), explains the asham offering.¹

Mishnat Eretz Yisrael

This commentary highlights the rabbinic coinage of "חצייה שפחה וחצייה בת חורין" as an explanation for the biblical "נחרפת", suggesting it was a living halakhic institution in Chazal's time. It delves into the profound legal complexities of this hybrid status, particularly concerning the validity of her kiddushin and get.²

Friction

Kushya

How can the Torah's phrase "והפדה לא נפדתה" be midrashically interpreted to create a sui generis legal status of "half-slave, half-free," particularly when R' Yishmael offers a simpler, literal reading? What is the chidush that necessitates such a complex status for shifcha charufa and not other arayot?

Terutz

The derashah isn't merely linguistic but reflects a unique gezerat ha-katuv (Divine decree) establishing a hybrid legal entity. She is neither fully free (so karet of eshet ish doesn't apply) nor fully enslaved (so she has some capacity for kiddushin). This intermediate status, stemming from partial redemption, necessitates the specific asham offering for intentional acts, bridging the gap between unwitting chatat and intentional karet for other forbidden relations.

Intertext

The legal concept of a "half-slave, half-free" individual is mirrored in M. Gittin 4:5, concerning an eved she'chatzio ben chorin (a slave who is half-slave, half-free). This individual faces a unique predicament regarding marriage: "מה יעשה? ישא שפחה? אינו יכול. בת חורין? אינו יכול."³ This parallel underscores the profound legal quandaries arising from such a liminal personal status.

Psak/Practice

The Rambam, both in his Mishnah commentary and Mishneh Torah, rules in accordance with R' Yehuda/Akiva, accepting the "חצייה שפחה וחצייה בת חורין" definition for shifcha charufa.⁴ While the institution of shifcha charufa is not practically relevant today, the concept of a nuanced, hybrid status, derived through derashah from precise textual readings, remains a cornerstone of halakhic methodology.

Takeaway

The shifcha charufa exemplifies the Torah's intricate legal architecture, where a precise derashah on a single phrase sculpts a unique halakhic persona, demonstrating the profound implications of textual nuance on personal status and korbanot.

---

¹ Rambam on Mishnah Keritot 2:5:1 (Sefaria: Keritot 2:5:1) s.v. איזו היא שפחה. ² Mishnat Eretz Yisrael on Mishnah Keritot 2:5:1-48. ³ Mishnah Gittin 4:5. ⁴ Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Keritot 1:6.