For the source text click/tap here: Kiddushin 11
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According to the Mishna, when a man marries a woman by means of money, the minimum amount is, according to Beit Hillel, a peruta or, according to Beit Shammai, a dinar. While Beit Hillel‘s position is fairly easy to understand, Beit Shammai‘s position demands some explanation, and it is discussed on our daf.
Rabbi Zeira suggests that Beit Shammai is simply looking out for the honor of Jewish women, who demand more than a small denomination coin.
We examine the use of coins in the talmud and Palestine in the late antique period.