Commentary for Yevamot 243:17

אמר להו לכשתהא כפונדקית נאמנת הפונדקית הוציאה להם מקלו ותרמילו וספר תורה שהיה בידו:

— This is no difficulty. One ruling<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of R. Akiba. ');">⁶³</span> was made<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'here'. ');">⁶⁴</span> before the law,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That a woman's evidence on a man's death shall be relied upon in permitting that man's wife to marry again. ');">⁶⁵</span> had been established; the other,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'here'. ');">⁶⁴</span> after the law<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That a woman's evidence on a man's death shall be relied upon in permitting that man's wife to marry again. ');">⁶⁵</span> had been established. <b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. THEY<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Rabbis. ');">⁶⁶</span> SAID TO HIM:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Akiba. V. previous Mishnah. ');">⁶⁷</span> 'IT ONCE HAPPENED THAT A NUMBER OF LEVITES WENT TO ZOAR,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On the East or S.E. of the Dead Sea. Zoar is mentioned several times in the Bible. Cf., e.g., Gel. XIV, 2, 8 and XIX, 22. ');">⁶⁸</span> THE CITY OF PALMS, AND ONE OF THEM WHO FELL. ILL WAS TAKEN BY THEM INTO AN INN. WHEN THEY RETURNED THEY ASKED THE INNKEEPER<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] (fem.) 'woman innkeeper'. ');">⁶⁹</span> WHERE IS OUR FRIEND?" AND SHE REPLIED, HE IS DEAD AND I BURIED HIM". [AND IT WAS ON THIS EVIDENCE THAT] HIS WIFE WAS PERMITTED TO MARRY AGAIN. SHOULD NOT THEN A PRIEST'S WIFE<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] V. n. 3. ');">⁷⁰</span> [BE BELIEVED AT LEAST AS MUCH] AS THE INNKEEPER!'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., since a woman's evidence is ineligible, even that of a priest's wife would be ineligible. Is it then conceivable that the latter should be regarded as less trustworthy than an innkeeper! [H] might perhaps be rendered 'princess', 'lady' as [H] is interpreted by the Targumim (cf. e.g., Gen. XLI, 45, ps. CX, 4) as [H] 'great man', 'prince'. 'Should not the lady enjoy the status of the innkeeper!' Another interpretation applies [H] to all Jewish women since any of them might become a [H] by marrying a priest. Cf. Golds. ');">⁷¹</span> HE ANSWERED THEM, WHEN SHE WILL BE [GIVING SUCH EVIDENCE] AS THE INNKEEPER SHE WILL BE BELIEVED. THE INNKEEPER [AS A MATTER OF FACT] HAD BROUGHT OUT TO THEM HIS<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The dead man's. ');">⁷²</span> STAFF, HIS BAG<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Some texts add, 'his shoes']. ');">⁷³</span> AND THE SCROLL OF THE LAW WHICH HE HAD WITH HIM.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It was on this proof, and not on the evidence of the innkeeper, that they acted. ');">⁷⁴</span>

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