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The minimum financial commitment made by the groom (200 zuzim) was considerable: it did not have to be paid at the time of the marriage but was due if the marriage was dissolved or the groom died.® The obligations of the husband included providing sexual satisfaction on a regular basis, which depended on the nature of his work,® as well as a home and maintenance according to his means. Should these diminish, however, the bride’s living standards could not decline without her consent.’ The groom also had to provide medical care, ransom, and funeral expenses."
The bride had to be willing to engage in sexual relations unless she was unclean or had another good reason to refuse; she, or the servants she brought into the marriage, was responsible for the ordinary house work, consisting of grinding flour, baking, cooking, knitting, washing, nursing an infant, and mixing the husband’s drink. The bride was personally responsible for making her husband’s bed and for washing his face, hands, and feet.!?
Since these provisions were so specific, they provided a framework for marriage, protected the wife, and began the road toward monogamy. The fact that an amount had been listed in the ketubah, either as matan or mohar, placed a considerable financial obligation upon the man. Multiple wives increased that obligation and, in case of infractions of the agreement on his part, could bankrupt him. The introduction of the ketubah undoubtedly limited polygamy to the wealthy even more than in earlier periods.
; A marriage also took effect if an item of value was transerred between the bride and groom in the presence of two competent witnesses. This remains a part of the modern wedding in the
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