Food, Clothing, and the Care a Husband Owes His Wife

"If he takes another wife" (Exodus 21:10): from here they said, a man is obligated to marry off his young son. And elsewhere what does it say? "And you shall make them known to your children and your children's children" (Deuteronomy 4:9). When are you privileged to see your children's children? When you marry off your children while they are young. "Her food" (she'erah): these are her provisions of food, as it is said "who eat the flesh (she'er) of my people" (Micah 3:3), and it is written "He rained flesh (she'er) upon them like dust." "Her clothing," according to its plain meaning. "Her conjugal right" (onatah): this is the way of the world [marital relations], as it is said "and he lay with her and afflicted (vaye'aneha) her" (Genesis 34:2), the words of Rabbi Yoshiyah. Rabbi Yonatan says: "her food, her clothing" means clothing suited to her flesh: if she was young he shall not give her clothing fit for an old woman, and if she was old he shall not give her clothing fit for a young woman. "And her conjugal right" means he shall not give her clothing of the summer in the rainy season, nor of the rainy season in the summer, but he gives her each in its proper season. From where do we learn her provisions of food? You say it follows by an argument from minor to major: if things that do not sustain life he may not withhold from her, then things that do sustain life, by reason he may not withhold from her. From where do we learn the way of the world? You say it follows from minor to major: if things upon which she was not married at the outset he may not withhold from her, then things upon which she was married at the outset, by reason he may not withhold from her. Rabbi says: "her food" (she'erah), this is the way of the world, as it is said "any man to any of his near kin (she'er besaro)" and it is written "she is the kin (she'er) of your father, she is the kin of your mother" (Leviticus 18:12-13). "Her clothing," according to its plain meaning. "Her conjugal right," these are her provisions of food, as it is said "and He afflicted you (vaye'ankha) and let you hunger" (Deuteronomy 8:3). Rav Yosef taught: "her food" (she'erah), this is closeness of flesh, that he shall not conduct himself with her in the manner of the Persians, who perform their marital relations in their garments. As Rav Huna said: anyone who says "I want it only this way, I in my garment and she in hers," let him divorce her and give the marriage settlement. "He shall not diminish": Rabbi Yoshiyah says, why is this stated? Because it says "if he takes another wife," I might understand Scripture speaks of a daughter of Israel; Scripture says "he shall not diminish" from whom does one diminish? From one to whom they have already given. Rabbi Yonatan says: Scripture speaks of a daughter of Israel. Or is it only about the Hebrew maidservant? When it says "according to the law of daughters he shall do for her," behold the Hebrew maidservant is mentioned; what then does "if he takes another wife" teach? Scripture speaks of a daughter of Israel.