"על אודותיו יש לדבר בשתיקה": תפקיד השתיקה בסיפורי טענות בתולים בתלמוד הבבלי

This study proposes a new reading of two Talmudic stories (b. Ketubot 10a) which discuss virginity claims, in light of the concept of silence. The understanding of the connection between speech and silence allows a better understanding of the way the stories understand virginity. The glaring absence of speech enables the stories to convey information while staying vague, thereby creating another layer in the story, parallel to the spoken one. The disparity between speech and silence in each of the stories reveals that, despite their similarities, each story represents a different concept of virginity. The methodological use of silence becomes an effective tool that allows implicit concealment while subtly imparting information. Furthermore, these stories demonstrate the advantages of silence as a literary tool that melds with the unique poetic nature of rabbinical stories.