contagious, for we see people afflicted with this disease mixing with their wives, children, and families. They also prepare food with their own hands, yet they do not harm others.
As for the question of heredity, this too is incorrect, for there are children of people afflicted with this disease who are nevertheless healthy and free of it.
There remain other defects in a husband, such as castration and related conditions, urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, scalp ringworm that has an offensive odor, bad breath—that is, foul-smelling breath—and several other defects. The apparent meaning of the author’s words is that a woman is not to be prevented from marrying a man with these conditions, since he mentioned five: regarding two, he said that she is not to be prevented, and regarding three, he said that she is to be prevented; he was silent concerning the rest. Thus, if she says, “I choose this man who has urinary incontinence,” she is not to be prevented. Likewise, if she says that she chooses a man with fecal incontinence, or a man with bad breath, or one with scalp ringworm that has an offensive odor, saying, “I want this man because of his character and religious commitment,” then the apparent meaning of the author’s words is that she is not to be prevented.
If she learns of the defect, or it arises in him, her guardian may not compel her to annul the marriage.
His statement, “If she learns of the defect, or it arises in him, her guardian may not compel her to annul the marriage”: the guardian may prevent the marriage contract from being concluded, but he may not prevent its continuation, because continuation is stronger than initial commencement. That is, he may prevent her from initially marrying an insane man, a man with leprosy, or a man with vitiligo. But if she learns of it only after the marriage contract has been concluded, he has no right to dissolve it; thus, he may not compel her to annul the marriage. This is one instance of a principle we previously encountered: prevention is easier than removal. Likewise, if she does not