Yevamot 117

מהו בתר נישואין אזלינן או בתר אירוסין אזלינן

what [is the law]:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' May he marry her despite her advanced age? ');">¹</span> Are we guided by the marriage<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When she was already of age and consequently forbidden to him. ');">²</span> or by the betrothal?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When she was still permitted. ');">³</span>

א"ל תניתוה נתארמלו או נתגרשו מן הנשואין פסולות מן האירוסין כשרות

— The other replied to him: You have learned it: IF THEY BECAME WIDOWS OR WERE DIVORCED AFTER MARRIAGE THEY REMAIN INELIGIBLE; IF AFTER BETROTHAL THEY BECOME ELIGIBLE.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From which it appears that, in respect of those who are ineligible to marry priests, marriage is the main factor. Had not the marriage to be taken into consideration a widow, for instance, who was betrothed to a High Priest would also be ineligible after his death. ');">⁴</span> The first said to him: With reference to rendering her a halalah,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Profaned' and forbidden to a priest. ');">⁵</span> I have no doubt that it is the forbidden cohabitation<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the consummation of marriage. ');">⁶</span>

אמר ליה לשוויה חללה לא קמיבעיא לי דביאה היא דמשוויה חללה כי קמיבעיא לי (ויקרא כא, יג) והוא אשה בבתוליה יקח מאי קיחה דקדושין בעינן או קיחה דנישואין בעינן

that causes her to be a halalah. My question is only: What is implied by, And he shall take a wife in her virginity:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXI, 13. ');">⁷</span> Is the 'taking' of betrothal required,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And as at that time she was eligible he may now marry her. ');">⁸</span> or is it the 'taking' of marriage that is required?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As by that time she is already forbidden, he may not marry her, despite their permitted betrothal. ');">⁹</span>

אמר ליה הא נמי תניתוה אירס את האלמנה ונתמנה להיות כהן גדול יכנוס שאני התם דכתיב (ויקרא כא, יד) יקח אשה

The other replied, You have learned this also: [A priest who] betrothed a widow, and was subsequently appointed to be a High Priest, may consummate the marriage!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Infra 61a, which proves that betrothal is the main factor. ');">¹⁰</span> — There it is different because it is written, Shall he take to wife.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXI, 14. From the superfluous word wife it is deduced (v. infra 61a) that in the case mentioned the High Priest may consummate the marriage. This, however, supplies no answer to the question under consideration. ');">¹¹</span> Here also it is written wife!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXI, 13. ');">¹²</span>

הכא נמי כתיב אשה אחת ולא שתים

— Only one<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deduction may be made from the term 'wife'. ');">¹³</span> but not two. And what is the reason?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'what do you see'? Why should the deduction be made to permit the marriage of the widow to a High Priest and not that of the minor who became adolescent? ');">¹⁴</span> — In the case of the one,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The minor who became of age. ');">¹⁵</span>

ומה ראית הא אישתני גופה והא לא אישתני גופה:

her body has undergone a change;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And she may, therefore, be regarded as a different person. ');">¹⁶</span> in that of the other her body underwent no change. <b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. A HIGH PRIEST SHALL NOT MARRY A WIDOW<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Lev. XXI, 14. ');">¹⁷</span>

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> כהן גדול לא ישא אלמנה בין אלמנה מן האירוסין בין אלמנה מן הנשואין ולא ישא את הבוגרת ר' אלעזר ור' שמעון מכשירין בבוגרת [ולא ישא את מוכת עץ]:

WHETHER SHE BECAME A WIDOW AFTER A BETROTHAL OR AFTER A MARRIAGE. HE SHALL NOT MARRY ONE WHO IS ADOLESCENT.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] one over twelve years and six months of age. Cf. supra p. 393, n. 5. ');">¹⁸</span> R. ELEAZAR AND R. SIMEON PERMIT HIM TO MARRY ONE WHO IS ADOLESCENT,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] one over twelve years and six months of age. Cf. supra p. 393, n. 5. ');">¹⁸</span> BUT HE MAY NOT MARRY ONE WHO IS WOUNDED.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] lit., 'struck by wood', one who lost her hymen as the result of a blow. ');">¹⁹</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> תנו רבנן (ויקרא כא, יד) אלמנה לא יקח בין אלמנה מן האירוסין בין אלמנה מן הנישואין פשיטא מהו דתימא לילף אלמנה אלמנה מתמר מה להלן מן הנישואין אף כאן מן הנישואין קמ"ל

<b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. Our Rabbis taught: A widow&nbsp;… shall he not take,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Lev. XXI, 14. ');">¹⁷</span> whether she became a widow after a betrothal or after a marriage. Is not this obvious?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The expression widow surely does not imply any distinction between the one and the other! ');">²⁰</span> — It might have been assumed that [the meaning of] widow<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Spoken of in connection with a High Priest (Lev. XXI, 14). ');">²¹</span>

ואימא הכי נמי דומיא דגרושה מה גרושה בין מן הנישואין בין מן האירוסין אף אלמנה בין מן האירוסין בין מן הנישואין:

is to be inferred from widow<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XXXVIII, 11. ');">²²</span> in the case of Tamar; as there<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XXXVIII, 11. ');">²²</span> it was one after marriage, so here<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Spoken of in connection with a High Priest (Lev. XXI, 14). ');">²¹</span>

ולא ישא את הבוגרת: תנו רבנן והוא אשה בבתוליה יקח פרט לבוגרת שכלו לה בתוליה דברי ר' מאיר ר' אלעזר ור' שמעון מכשירין בבוגרת

also it is one after marriage; hence we were taught [that any widow was meant]. But might it not be suggested that it is indeed so?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That only one after marriage was meant, as in the case of Tamar. ');">²³</span> — [It is compared] to a divorced woman:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Spoken of in the same context in connection with a High Priest (Lev. XXI, 14). ');">²⁴</span> As 'divorced woman'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Spoken of in the same context in connection with a High Priest (Lev. XXI, 14). ');">²⁴</span>

במאי קא מיפלגי רבי מאיר סבר בתולה אפילו מקצת בתולים משמע בתוליה עד דאיכא כל הבתולים בבתוליה בכדרכה אין שלא כדרכה לא

[includes any divorcee] whether after betrothal or after marriage,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So Yalkut. Cur. edd. reverse the order. ');">²⁵</span> so also 'widow'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Spoken of in the same context in connection with a High Priest (Lev. XXI, 14). ');">²⁴</span> [includes any widow] whether after betrothal or after marriage.

ורבי אלעזר ורבי שמעון סברי בתולה בתולה שלימה משמע בתוליה ואפי' מקצת בתולים בבתוליה עד שיהיו כל בתוליה קיימין בין בכדרכה בין שלא כדרכה

HE SHALL NOT MARRY ONE WHO IS ADOLESCENT. Our Rabbis taught: And he shall take a wife in her virginity<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXI, 13. ');">²⁶</span> excludes one who is adolescent, whose virginity is ended; so R. Meir. R. Eleazar and R. Simeon permit the marriage of one who is adolescent. On what principle do they differ? — R. Meir is of the opinion that virgin<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H]. ');">²⁷</span> implies even [one who retains] some of her virginity; her virginity<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H]. ');">²⁸</span>

אמר רב יהודה אמר רב נבעלה שלא כדרכה פסולה לכהונה מתיב רבא (דברים כב, יט) ולו תהיה לאשה באשה הראויה לו פרט לאלמנה לכהן גדול גרושה וחלוצה לכהן הדיוט

implies only one who retains all her virginity;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which excludes the one who is adolescent, whose virginity has ended. ');">²⁹</span> in her virginity<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H], (Lev. XXI, 13). ');">³⁰</span> implies only [when previous intercourse with her took place] in the natural manner,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Is she forbidden to a High Priest. ');">³¹</span>

היכי דמי אלימא בכדרכה מאי איריא משום אלמנה תיפוק ליה משום דהויא לה בעולה אלא לאו שלא כדרכה ומשום אלמנה אין משום בעולה לא

but not when in an unnatural manner.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The superfluous [H] (= in), in [H] excludes unnatural intercourse, whereby 'virginity' is not affected. ');">³²</span> R. Eleazar and R. Simeon, however, are of the opinion that virgin would have implied a perfect virgin; her virginity implies even [one who retains] only part of her virginity;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which includes the one who is adolescent. ');">³³</span> in her virginity implies only one whose entire virginity is intact,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Is permitted to be married by a High priest. ');">³⁴</span> irrespective of whether [previous intercourse with her was] of a natural or unnatural character.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even if it was unnatural she is forbidden, unless her virginity remained completely intact. Cf. supra n. 7. As, according to R. Eleazar and R. Simeon, one who is adolescent is permitted it was necessary to have the Scriptural text to exclude this case. According to R. Meir, however, who excludes one who is adolescent, there is no need any more to exclude this case which is easily inferred a minori ad majus from the former. ');">³⁵</span> Rab Judah stated in the name of Rab: A woman who was subjected to unnatural intercourse is disqualified from marrying a priest.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., a High Priest who is permitted to marry a virgin only. ');">³⁶</span> Raba raised an objection: And she shall be his wife,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXII, 29, referring to a virgin who had been outraged. ');">³⁷</span> applies to a woman eligible to marry him. This excludes [the marriage of] a widow<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' After her betrothal. ');">³⁸</span> to a High Priest,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If it was he who committed the outrage. ');">³⁹</span> of a divorced woman<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' After her betrothal. ');">³⁸</span> and a <i>haluzah</i><span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' After her betrothal. ');">³⁸</span> to a common priest. Now, how is one to understand [the outrage]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If committed by a High Priest. ');">⁴⁰</span> If it be suggested that it was one of natural intercourse, what [it may be asked] was the object of pointing to her widowhood<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'on account of widow'. ');">⁴¹</span> when [her prohibition] could be inferred from the fact that she had &nbsp; &nbsp; had carnal intercourse with a man?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' With the High Priest himself, who is forbidden to marry an outraged or seduced woman even if he himself had committed the offence. ');">⁴²</span> Must it not consequently [be assumed to be] a case of unnatural intercourse; and <font>the only reason<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'yes'. ');">⁴³</span></font> [why the woman is forbidden<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To the High Priest. ');">⁴⁴</span> is] because she is a widow, and <font>not because she had had carnal intercourse!</font><span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which proves that unnatural intercourse does not cause a woman to be forbidden to marry a High Priest. How then could Rab state that a woman in such circumstances is forbidden? ');">⁴⁵</span>