הלכות אישות א׳Marriage 1

Halacha 1א׳

קֹדֶם מַתַּן תּוֹרָה הָיָה אָדָם פּוֹגֵעַ אִשָּׁה בַּשּׁוּק אִם רָצָה הוּא וְהִיא לִשָּׂא אוֹתָהּ מַכְנִיסָהּ לְתוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ וּבוֹעֲלָהּ בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין עַצְמוֹ וְתִהְיֶה לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה. כֵּיוָן שֶׁנִּתְּנָה תּוֹרָה נִצְטַוּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁאִם יִרְצֶה הָאִישׁ לִשָּׂא אִשָּׁה יִקְנֶה אוֹתָהּ תְּחִלָּה בִּפְנֵי עֵדִים וְאַחַר כָּךְ תִּהְיֶה לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כב יג) "כִּי יִקַּח אִישׁ אִשָּׁה וּבָא אֵלֶיהָ":

Before the giving of the Torah, it would be that if a man happened upon a woman in the marketplace and they wanted to marry each other, he would bring her into his house and consummate the marriage between them privately, and she would be his wife. Once the Torah was given, Israel was commanded that if a man wanted to marry a woman, he would acquire her first through witnesses, and afterwards she would be his wife, as it says, "When a man takes a woman and comes to (sleeps with) her..." (Deuteronomy 22:13).

Halacha 2ב׳

וְלִקּוּחִין אֵלּוּ מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה שֶׁל תּוֹרָה הֵם. וּבְאֶחָד מִשְּׁלֹשָׁה דְּבָרִים אֵלּוּ הָאִשָּׁה נִקְנֵית. בְּכֶסֶף. אוֹ בִּשְׁטָר. אוֹ בְּבִיאָה. בְּבִיאָה וּבִשְׁטָר מֵהַתּוֹרָה. וּבְכֶסֶף מִדִּבְרֵי סוֹפְרִים. וְלִקּוּחִין אֵלּוּ הֵן הַנִּקְרָאִין קִדּוּשִׁין אוֹ אֵרוּסִין בְּכָל מָקוֹם. וְאִשָּׁה שֶׁנִּקְנֵית בְּאֶחָד מִשְּׁלֹשָׁה דְּבָרִים אֵלּוּ הִיא הַנִּקְרֵאת מְקֻדֶּשֶׁת אוֹ מְאֹרֶסֶת:

And taking a wife as such is a positive commandment of the Torah. And a woman is acquired through three means: money, a contract, or through intercourse. Marriage through intercourse and by contract is from the Torah, and by money is Rabbinical [lit. "the words of the Scribes"]. And this acquisition is what is called "Kiddushin" or "Eirusin" in several places. And a woman who is acquired through one of these three means is called a "Mekudeshet" or "Meureset".

Halacha 3ג׳

וְכֵיוָן שֶׁנִּקְנֵית הָאִשָּׁה וְנַעֲשֵׂית מְקֻדֶּשֶׁת אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא נִבְעֲלָה וְלֹא נִכְנְסָה לְבֵית בַּעְלָהּ הֲרֵי הִיא אֵשֶׁת אִישׁ וְהַבָּא עָלֶיהָ חוּץ מִבַּעְלָהּ חַיָּב מִיתַת בֵּית דִּין. וְאִם רָצָה לְגָרֵשׁ צְרִיכָה גֵּט:

And since the woman had been acquired and had been made set apart, even though there was no consummation and she did not enter her husbands house, she is a married woman! And anyone who has intercourse with her, other than her husband, shall be liable for execution by the Jewish court. And if a divorce is sought-after, a bill of divorce is required.