Mishnah (Maseches Shavuos): An oath (required by Dayanim after a person admitted to owing part of a sum of money claimed against him) - the original claim must have been for at least 2 silver ma'ah and the admission must be for the value of at least a Perutah.

Beraisa: As for the amount of the original claim - B''S say it must be one ma'ah and B''H say two ma'ah. (Note: The Mishnah above only cited the opinion of B''H.)

Question #1: The opinion of B''S seems to have switched, as there (in Shavuos), they say that kesef is a dinar and here (in Kidushin), they say that it is a ma'ah...?

Question #2: The opinion of B''H seems to have switched, as there, they say kesef is a Perutah and here they say that (two) kesef is two ma'ah?

R. Yaakov bar Acha citing R. Chanina: B''S learn marriage from the original sale of a Jewish maidservant - just as the original sale is with a dinar, so marriage may be performed with a dinar. (This will further be explained soon.)

B''H learn it from the end of the reduction of the redemption price (giraon kesef) - just as the minimum to which the redemption price is reduced is a Perutah, so marriage may be performed with a Perutah. (This will also be explained.)

Question: What is B''S's source that the original sale is with a dinar?

Answer: In reference to a Jewish maidservant who becomes physically mature, the pasuk states (Shemos 21, 11), "...and she shall leave free of charge, without payment''. Do we not know that it is without payment?! Rather, it teaches that she was sold for more than 'kesef - money' (which refers to a ma'ah), meaning that she was sold for a dinar.

Question: Perhaps she was originally sold for two perutos and as she worked, the redemption money was gradually reduced to one Perutah (which the pasuk states that is not ultimately paid)?

Answer: The Torah does not mention any coin that is less than a ma'ah , which is also known as a gerah.

Question: Perhaps the pasuk is teaching that she was originally sold for only a ma'ah and the phrase 'without payment' refers to if she became physically mature immediately after the sale?

Answer (R. Bun citing R. Yudah ben Pazi): It begins with a dinar (which is 6 ma'ah), so that for each year of her 6 years of service, we reduce it a ma'ah.

Question: It could still begin with a ma'ah (which is 8 perutos) and it could be reduced a Perutah each year?

Answer (R. Bun): In your case, if she wishes to go free at the beginning of the 6th year, she must pay a Perutah based on reducing the price each year; but at the end of that year she would also need to pay a Perutah (since that is the minimum amount that one could possibly pay)?!

Question: What is B''H's source?

Answer: We learn Kidushin from the end of the reduction of the redemption price (giraon), which is reduced to minimally a Perutah; therefore one can also marry with a Perutah. If only the value of a Perutah remained, would she not pay it and be able to leave? Therefore, since the lowest redemption price is a Perutah, so too one can marry with a Perutah.

Question: But surely (we have not yet resolved the problem that) the opinion of B''H has switched?! (Here, they hold that the word kesef is assumed to be a Perutah, but in the Maseches Shavuos kesef means a ma'ah -since they say that the claim must be two kesef, which is two ma'ah.)

Answer: The pasuk states (Shemos 22, 6), "If a man will give to his friend money (kesef) or vessels to watch over''. If this comes to teach that Beis Din do not require an oath in cases involving less than Perutah, we learn it from the pasuk (Vayikra 5, 26), "...to incur guilt'' - which excludes a case of less than a Perutah. Rather the word "kesef'' teaches that there is more than "kesef'' here, i.e. there are two ma'ah.

Question: Perhaps "kesef'' means a Perutah and more than "kesef'' is two perutos?

Answer: The word "kesef'' in the Torah is assumed to be no less than a ma'ah (but Kidushin is different as we learn from the reduction of the redemption money).

Question: Perhaps it is a ma'ah? (This would avoid the earlier problem, as the pasuk "to incur guilt'' refers to a Perutah and the word "kesef'' teaches that we need a ma'ah.)

Answer: The pasuk states (ibid) "or vessels'' - just as vessels is plural, meaning two, so the word kesef means two (ma'ah).

Question: How do B''S use the phrase "or vessels''?

Answer: According to the following Beraisa of R. Noson - "or vessels'' includes earthenware vessels (which are worth less than a ma'ah).

Shmuel: If one claimed two needles and the other admitted to only one, he must make an oath.

R. Chinana: This is only true when the needles (combined) are worth two perutos, so that both the claim and the admission will be worth at least a Perutah.

The statements (k) and (l) follow B''S, who do not learn kesef from 'vessels', but according to B''H who do, just as vessels means two, so kesef means two. Similarly, just as kesef means two ma'ah, so vessels means two ma'ah.