The Laws of A Virgin Maidenהִלְכוֹת נַעֲרָה בְּתוּלָה
They include five mitzvot: three positive commandments and two negative commandments. They are:יֵשׁ בִּכְלָלָן חָמֵשׁ מִצְווֹת - שָׁלוֹשׁ מִצְווֹת עֲשֵׂה, וּשְׁתֵּי מִצְווֹת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה, וְזֶה הוּא פְּרָטָן:
1) That a seducer of a virgin maiden be fined, 2) That a man who rapes a virgin maiden should marry her, 3) That the rapist should not divorce the woman he marries, 4) That the wife of a man who issued a slanderous report about her should remain married to him forever, 5) That a man who issues a slanderous report about his wife should not divorce her. These mitzvot are explained in the chapters that follow.(א) לִקְנֹס הַמְּפַתֶּה; (ב) שֶׁיִּשָּׂא הָאוֹנֵס אֲנוּסָתוֹ; (ג) שֶׁלֹּא יְגָרֵשׁ הָאוֹנֵס; (ד) שֶׁתֵּשֵׁב אֵשֶׁת מוֹצִיא שֵׁם רָע תַּחַת בַּעְלָהּ לְעוֹלָם; (ה) שֶׁלֹּא יְגָרֵשׁ מוֹצִיא שֵׁם רָע אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ. וּבֵאוּר מִצְווֹת אֵלּוּ בִּפְרָקִים אֵלּוּ.
1When a man seduces a virgin,1 he is fined 50 sela’im of pure silver.2 This is called a k’nas (“fine”). The same law applies if he rapes her. Payment of this fine is one of the Torah’s positive commandments,3 as Deuteronomy 22:29 states: “The man who raped her must give the maiden’s father 50 silver pieces.”אמִי שֶׁפִּתָּה בְּתוּלָה, קוֹנְסִין אוֹתוֹ מִשְׁקָל חֲמִשִּׁים סְלָעִים שֶׁל כֶסֶף מְזֻקָּק. וְזֶה הוּא הַנִּקְרָא 'קְנָס'. וְכֵן אִם אָנַס אוֹתָהּ. וּקְנָס זֶה מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה שֶׁל תּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְנָתַן הָאִישׁ הַשֹּׁכֵב עִמָּהּ לַאֲבִי הַנַּעֲרָה חֲמִשִּׁים כָּסֶף" (דברים כב, כט).
2What is meant by a seducer, and what is meant by a rapist? A seducer is one who enters into relations with a girl with her consent; a rapist is one who takes her by force.בוְאֵיזֶה הוּא מְפַתֶּה וְאֵיזֶה הוּא אוֹנֵס? מְפַתֶּה, לִרְצוֹנָהּ; וְאוֹנֵס, שֶׁבָּא עָלֶיהָ בְּעַל כָּרְחָהּ.

Mishneh Torah (Moznaim)

Featuring a modern English translation and a commentary that presents a digest of the centuries of Torah scholarship which have been devoted to the study of the Mishneh Torah by Maimonides.

Whenever a man entered into relations with a woman in a field, we operate under the presumption that he raped her, and apply those laws4 unless witnesses testify that she entered into relations with him willingly.5כָּל הַנִּבְעֶלֶת בַּשָּׂדֶה - הֲרֵי זוֹ בְּחֶזְקַת אֲנוּסָה, וְדָנִין בּוֹ דִּין אוֹנֵס, עַד שֶׁיָּעִידוּ הָעֵדִים שֶׁבִּרְצוֹנָהּ נִבְעְלָה.
Whenever a man enters into relations with a woman in a city, we operate under the presumption that she consented, because she did not cry out, unless witnesses testify that she was raped - e.g., he pulled out a sword and told her, “If you cry out, I will kill you.”וְכָל הַנִּבְעֶלֶת בָּעִיר - הֲרֵי זוֹ בְּחֶזְקַת מְפֻתָּה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלֹּא זָעֲקָה, עַד שֶׁיָּעִידוּ הָעֵדִים שֶׁהִיא אֲנוּסָה, כְּגוֹן שֶׁשָּׁלַף חֶרֶב וְאָמַר לָהּ 'אִם תִּזְעֲקִי אֶהְרֹג אוֹתָךְ'.
3When a girl who was seduced does not want to marry the seducer, or her father does not want to give her in marriage to him,6 or if the seducer does not want to marry her, he may pay the fine and depart. We do not force him to marry her.7גהַמְּפֻתָּה שֶׁלֹּא רָצְתָה לְהִנָּשֵׂא לַמְּפַתֶּה, אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא רָצָה אָבִיהָ לִתְּנָהּ לוֹ, אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא רָצָה הוּא לִכְנֹס - הֲרֵי זֶה נוֹתֵן קְנָסָהּ וְהוֹלֵךְ, וְאֵין כּוֹפִין אוֹתוֹ לִכְנֹס.
If they do desire to wed, and he marries her, he does not pay a fine.8 Instead, he writes her a ketubah, as is written for other maidens.9וְאִם רָצוּ וּכְנָסָהּ - אֵינוֹ מְשַׁלֵּם קְנָס, אֶלָא כּוֹתֵב לָהּ כְּתֻבָּה כִּשְׁאָר הַבְּתוּלוֹת.
When, however, a woman who is raped or her father do not desire that she marry the rapist, they have that prerogative. In such an instance, he must pay the fine and depart. If she and her father desire that the marriage take place, but he does not desire, we force him to marry her, aside from paying the fine, as Deuteronomy 22:29 states: “He must take the maiden as his wife”; this is a positive commandment.10אֲבָל הָאֲנוּסָה שֶׁלֹּא רָצְתָה הִיא, אוֹ אָבִיהָ, לְהִנָּשֵׂא לָאוֹנֵס - הָרְשׁוּת בְּיָדָם, וְנוֹתֵן קְנָס. רָצְתָה הִיא וְאָבִיהָ וְלֹא רָצָה הוּא - כּוֹפִין אוֹתוֹ וְכוֹנֵס וְנוֹתֵן קְנָס, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְלוֹ תִהְיֶה לְאִשָּׁה" (דברים כב, כט), הֲרֵי זוֹ מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה.
Even if the girl is lame, blind, or afflicted with leprosy,11 he is forced to marry her and he may never take the initiative in divorcing her,12 as the above verse continues: “He may not send her away as long as he lives.” This is a negative commandment.13 אַפִלּוּ הִיא חִגֶּרֶת אוֹ סוּמָא אוֹ מְצֹרַעַת, כּוֹפִין אוֹתוֹ לִכְנֹס. וְאֵינוֹ מוֹצִיא לִרְצוֹנוֹ לְעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "לֹא יוּכַל שַׁלְּחָהּ כָּל יָמָיו" (שם) - הֲרֵי זוֹ מִצְוַת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה.
4This girl is not granted a ketubah. For our Sages instituted the requirement of a ketubah so that a husband will not consider divorce a frivolous matter. In this instance this is unnecessary, because the man cannot divorce his wife.דוְאֵין לָהּ כְּתֻבָּה - שֶׁלֹּא תִקְּנוּ חֲכָמִים כְּתֻבָּה לָאִשָּׁה אֶלָא כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא תִהְיֶה קַלָּה בְּעֵינָיו לְהוֹצִיאָהּ, וְזֶה אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהוֹצִיא.
5If the girl he raped was forbidden to him,14 even if the prohibition stems from a positive commandment, or she was a sh’niyah or forbidden by other Rabbinic prohibitions,15 he should not marry her. ההָיְתָה אֲנוּסָה זוֹ אֲסוּרָה עָלָיו - אַפִלּוּ מֵחַיָּבֵי עֲשֵׂה, וְאַפִלּוּ שְׁנִיָּה - הֲרֵי זֶה לֹא יִשָּׂאֶנָּה.
Similarly, if he discovers adulterous behavior16 on her part after he marries her, he should divorce her. These concepts are implied by the phrase: “He must take the girl as his wife” which our Sages interpreted to mean: “She must be fit to be his wife.”וְכֵן אִם נִמְצָא בָּהּ דְּבַר זִמָּה אַחַר שֶׁכְּנָסָהּ - הֲרֵי זֶה יְגָרְשֶׁנָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְלוֹ תִהְיֶה לְאִשָּׁה" (דברים כב, כט) - אִשָּׁה הָרְאוּיָה לוֹ.
6When a High Priest rapes or seduces a virgin maiden, he should not marry her, because he is commanded to marry a virgin,17 and at the time he marries this girl she is not a virgin.18 If he marries this girl, he must divorce her.וכּוֹהֵן גָּדוֹל שֶׁאָנַס בְּתוּלָה אוֹ שֶׁפִּתָּה אוֹתָהּ - הֲרֵי זֶה לֹא יִכְנֹס, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא מְצֻוֶּה לִשָּׂא אֶת הַבְּתוּלָה, וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁיִּשָּׂא זוֹ אֵינָהּ בְּתוּלָה. וְאִם כָּנַס, יוֹצִיא בְּגֵט.
7Although it is said with regard to a rapist: “He may not send her away as long as he lives,” since this prohibition is preceded by a positive commandment, as it is said, “He must take the girl as his wife,” the Torah made the prohibition rectifiable by the observance of the positive commandment.זאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בָּאוֹנֵס "לֹא יוּכַל לְשַׁלְּחָהּ" (דברים כב, כט), כֵּיוָן שֶׁקְּדָמוֹ עֲשֵׂה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְלוֹ תִהְיֶה לְאִשָּׁה" (שם) - הֲרֵי נְתָקוֹ לַעֲשֵׂה.
Thus, this is a negative commandment whose violation can be rectified by the observance of a positive commandment. Lashes are not given as punishment for the violation of such a commandment unless one does not fulfill the positive commandment, as will be explained in Hilchot Sanhedrin.19וְנִמְצֵאת זוֹ מִצְוַת לֹא תַעֲשֵׂה שֶׁנִּתְּקָה לַעֲשֵׂה, שֶׁאֵין לוֹקִין עָלֶיהָ, אֶלָא אִם לֹא קִיֵּם עֲשֵׂה שֶׁבָּהּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר בְּהִלְכוֹת סַנְהֶדְּרִין.
Therefore, when a rapist violates this prohibition and divorces his wife, he is compelled to remarry her and is not punished by lashes. If, however, his divorcee dies or is consecrated by another man20 before he remarries her, or if he is a priest, who is forbidden to marry a divorcee, he should be punished by lashes. For he transgressed the negative commandment, and is unable to fulfill the positive commandment associated with it.21 לְפִיכָךְ אוֹנֵס שֶׁעָבַר וְגֵרַשׁ - כּוֹפִין אוֹתוֹ לְהַחְזִיר, וְאֵינוֹ לוֹקֶה. מֵתָה גְּרוּשָׁתוֹ קֹדֶם שֶׁיַּחְזִירֶנָּה, אוֹ שֶׁנִּתְקַדְּשָׁה לְאַחֵר, אוֹ שֶׁהָיָה כּוֹהֵן שֶׁאָסוּר בִּגְרוּשָׁה - הֲרֵי זֶה לוֹקֶה; שֶׁהֲרֵי עָבַר עַל לֹא תַעֲשֵׂה, וְאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְקַיֵּם עֲשֵׂה שֶׁבָּהּ.
8Neither a rapist nor a seducer is liable to pay the fine unless he engages in relations in the ordinary fashion,22 and the relations are observed by witnesses.23 A warning is not necessary.24חאֵין הָאוֹנֵס אוֹ הַמְּפַתֶּה חַיָּב בַּקְּנָס עַד שֶׁיָּבוֹא עָלֶיהָ כְּדַרְכָּהּ וּבְעֵדִים, וְאֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ הַתְרָאָה.
At what age is a girl fit to be paid a fine? From the age of three25 until she reaches the age of bagrut.26 וּמֵאֵימָתַי יִהְיֶה לַבַּת קְנָס? מֵאַחַר שָׁלוֹשׁ שָׁנִים גְּמוּרוֹת, עַד שֶׁתִּבְגֹּר.
If a man engages in relations with a girl less than three years old, the relations are not significant.27נִבְעֲלָה בְּתוֹךְ שָׁלוֹשׁ שָׁנִים, אֵין בִּיאָתָהּ בִּיאָה.
If he engages in relations with her after she reaches the age of bagrut, he is not fined. For Deuteronomy 22:28 states: “A virgin maiden,” thus excluding a girl who has reached maturity.בָּא עָלֶיהָ מִשֶּׁבָּגְרָה - אֵין לָהּ קְנָס, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "נַעֲרָה בְתוּלָה" (דברים כב, כח) - לֹא הַבּוֹגֶרֶת.
9Whether or not a girl’s father is alive, a fine must be paid.28טוְאַחַת שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהּ אָב, אוֹ שֶׁאֵין לָהּ אָב - יֵשׁ לָהּ קְנָס.
A fine need not be paid because of relations with the following women: a bogeret, a girl who has dissolved a marriage through mi’un,29 an aylonit,30 a mentally incompetent girl, a deaf mute,31 a girl who was reputed to have conducted herself immodestly while young, concerning whom two witnesses testify that she sought sexual relations with them,32 a girl who was married and divorced, but is still a virgin maiden.33וְאֵלּוּ שֶׁאֵין לָהֶן קְנָס - הַבּוֹגֶרֶת, וְהַמְּמָאֶנֶת, וְהָאַיְלוֹנִית, וְהַשּׁוֹטָה, וְהַחֵרֶשֶׁת, וּמִי שֶׁיָּצָא עָלֶיהָ שֵׁם רָע בְּיַלְדוּתָהּ וּבָאוּ שְׁנַיִם וְהֵעִידוּ שֶׁתָּבְעָה אוֹתָן לִזְנוֹת עִמָּהּ, וְהַמִּתְגָּרֶשֶׁת מִן הַנִשּׂוּאִין וַעֲדַיִן הִיא נַעֲרָה בְּתוּלָה.
When, by contrast, a girl is divorced after merely being consecrated,34 a fine must be paid - and she is entitled to it35 - if she is raped. If she is seduced, she is not entitled to a fine.36 אֲבָל הַמִּתְגָּרֶשֶׁת מִן הָאֵרוּסִין: אִם נֶאְנְסָה, יֵשׁ לָהּ קְנָס; וְאִם נִתְפַּתְּתָה, אֵין לָהּ קְנָס.
10The following rules apply with regard to a convert, a girl who was taken captive, and a Canaanite maidservant who was freed:37 If she was converted, redeemed or freed before she reached the age of three, she is entitled to a fine.38יהַגִּיּוֹרֶת, וְהַשְּׁבוּיָה, וְהַמְּשֻׁחְרֶרֶת: אִם נִתְגַּיְּרָה וְנִפְדָּת וְנִשְׁתַּחְרְרָה, וְהִיא בַּת שָׁלוֹשׁ שָׁנִים אוֹ פָּחוֹת - יֵשׁ לָהּ קְנָס.
If she was three years old or older when she was converted, redeemed or freed, she is not entitled to a fine. Since relations that she engages in at this time are significant, she is placed into the category of non-virgins.וְאִם הָיְתָה בַּת שָׁלוֹשׁ שָׁנִים וְיוֹם אֶחָד כְּשֶׁנִּתְגַּיְּרָה אוֹ כְּשֶׁנִּפְדָּת אוֹ כְּשֶׁנִּשְׁתַּחְרְרָה - אֵין לָהּ קְנָס; הוֹאִיל וּבִיאָתָן בִּיאָה, הֲרֵי הֵן כִּבְעוּלוֹת.
11The following rules apply when the virgin who was raped or seduced was forbidden to the rapist or the seducer. If the prohibition was punishable by karet - e.g., she was his sister, his aunt, in the niddah state or the like - or she was forbidden by virtue of a negative commandment that does not involve either karet or execution, he is not liable for a fine if he was given a warning.39 Instead, he should be lashed. The rationale is that a person is never punished for the same transgression by both lashes and a monetary assessment. If he was not warned, since he is not to be given lashes, he should pay the fine.יאהָיְתָה בְּתוּלָה זוֹ אֲסוּרָה עַל הָאוֹנֵס אוֹ הַמְּפַתֶּה: אִם הָיְתָה מֵחַיָּבֵי כְּרֵתוֹת, כְּגוֹן אֲחוֹתוֹ וְדוֹדָתוֹ וְהַנִּדָּה וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן, אוֹ שֶׁהָיְתָה מֵחַיָּבֵי לָאוִין: אִם הִתְרוּ בּוֹ - הֲרֵי זֶה לוֹקֶה וְאֵינוֹ מְשַׁלֵּם קְנָס; שֶׁאֵין אָדָם לוֹקֶה וּמְשַׁלֵּם. וְאִם לֹא הָיְתָה שָׁם הַתְרָאָה - הוֹאִיל וְאֵינוֹ חַיָּב מַלְקוּת, הֲרֵי זֶה מְשַׁלֵּם קְנָס.
12When the girl raped was forbidden because of a positive commandment, or she was a sh’niyah or forbidden because of another Rabbinic commandment, the rapist is obligated to pay the fine whether he was warned against the transgression or not, because he is not punished by lashes.יבהָיְתָה מֵחַיָּבֵי עֲשֵׂה אוֹ שְׁנִיָּה וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהּ שֶׁאֲסוּרָה מִדִּבְרֵי סוֹפְרִים - בֵּין הִתְרוּ בּוֹ בֵּין לֹא הִתְרוּ בּוֹ, חַיָּב בַּקְּנָס, שֶׁאֵין כָּאן מַלְקוּת.
13When the girl raped was forbidden because of a prohibition punishable by execution by the court - e.g., she was his daughter, daughter-in-law,40 or the like - he is not liable for the fine, regardless of whether or not he received a warning. This is derived from Exodus 21:22, which states: “If there will not be a fatal accident, he should be punished.”41 Implied is that if there is a fatal accident, no punishment should be levied.42יגהָיְתָה מֵחַיָּבֵי מִיתַת בֵּית דִּין, כְּגוֹן בִּתּוֹ וְאֵשֶׁת בְּנוֹ וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן - בֵּין הִתְרוּ בּוֹ, בֵּין לֹא הִתְרוּ בּוֹ - פָּטוּר מִן הַקְּנָס, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְלֹא יִהְיֶה אָסוֹן עָנוֹשׁ יֵעָנֵשׁ" (שמות כא, כב) - הָא אִם הָיָה שָׁם אָסוֹן, אֵין שָׁם עֹנֶשׁ.
This applies although the woman was killed unintentionally, i.e., the man did not intend to strike her,43 as it is written Ibid.: “If men strive and a woman receives a blow....” This teaches that with regard to a fatal accident, Scripture did not differentiate between an intentional and unintentional act to free him from monetary obligation.וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֲרִיגַת הָאִשָּׁה בִּשְׁגָגָה, שֶׁהֲרֵי לֹא נִתְכַּוְּנוּ לָהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "כִּי יִנָּצוּ אֲנָשִׁים וְנָגְפוּ אִשָּׁה הָרָה. . ." (שם) - הָא לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁלֹּא חָלַק בָּאָסוֹן בֵּין שׁוֹגֵג לְמֵזִיד, לְפָטְרוֹ מִן הַתַּשְׁלוּמִין.
And Leviticus 24:18-21 says: “A person who fatally strikes an animal shall reimburse its owner for it, and one who fatally strikes a man must die.” Just as Scripture did not distinguish between intentional and unintentional action for killing an animal to make him liable for payment, so too, it did not distinguish between intentional and unintentional action for killing a person to free him from financial obligation.וַהֲרֵי הוּא אוֹמֵר "מַכֵּה נֶפֶשׁ בְּהֵמָה יְשַׁלְּמֶנָּה" (ויקרא כד, יח) "וּמַכֵּה אָדָם יוּמָת" (ויקרא כד, כא) - מַה מַכֵּה נֶפֶשׁ בְּהֵמָה לֹא חָלַק בּוֹ בֵּין שׁוֹגֵג לְמֵזִיד לְחַיְּבוֹ בְּתַשְׁלוּמִין, אַף מַכֵּה נֶפֶשׁ אָדָם לֹא חָלַק בּוֹ בֵּין שׁוֹגֵג לְמֵזִיד לְפָטְרוֹ מִן הַתַּשְׁלוּמִין.
14This law applies with regard to every transgression that is punishable by execution by the court. There is no financial obligation.44 ידוְהוּא הַדִּין לְכָל עֲבֵרָה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ מִיתַת בֵּית דִּין, שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ תַּשְׁלוּמִין.
15If a girl dies after she was seduced or raped, the seducer or the rapist is not liable for the fine, as implied by Deuteronomy 22:29: “the man who raped her must give the maiden’s father....” The verse states “the father of the maiden,” and not “the father of the dead maiden.” This applies when she dies before the case came to court.45טובָּא עָלֶיהָ וּמֵתָה - הֲרֵי זֶה פָּטוּר מִן הַקְּנָס, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְנָתַן הָאִישׁ הַשֹּׁכֵב עִמָּהּ לַאֲבִי הַנַּעֲרָה" (דברים כב, כט) - לֹא לַאֲבִי הַמֵּתָה. וְהוּא, שֶׁתָּמוּת קֹדֶם שֶׁתַּעֲמֹד בַּדִּין.