Betrothal

The Mishnah conceives of marriage as a man’s acquisition of a wife “by money, by document, or by sexual intercourse” (see “Mishnah Kiddushin” in The Rabbinic Legacy). This is not to say that she becomes his property or servant. To the contrary, the marriage relationship establishes reciprocal rights between them. However, that relationship is established through an act of acquisition (kinyan) with the intent to create a marital relationship.

The rabbinic practice of betrothal establishes a legally binding relationship between the two partners with many of the hallmarks of marriage itself. Since this is a legal relationship, it can be effected by agents as well as by the parties themselves. As with other forms of legal acquisition, this can be achieved through the transfer of ownership of an object of minimal value. The discussion of objects used to effect betrothal establishes that at least one item must have the minimal monetary value of a perutah. Betrothal cannot be achieved through multiple items of lesser value, even if their cumulative value exceeds the minimum threshold. This exchange does not represent a payment or any meaningful valuation but rather effects the symbolic change in the woman’s status through the exchange.