Yevamot 129

קובעת לה וסת עד שתקבענה שלש פעמים ואין מטהרת מן הוסת עד שתעקר ממנה שלש פעמים ושור המועד דתנן אין השור נעשה מועד עד שיעידו בו שלשה פעמים:

regard her menstrual periods as regular<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To be deemed levitically clean until that period actually arrives. A woman of irregular periods is regarded as unclean for twenty-four hours prior to the monthly date on which her previous discharge occurred (v. Nid. 2a). Should a woman, the regularity of whose periods had been established omit to examine her body when menstruation is due, and subsequently find a discharge, we assume her retrospectively to have become unclean at the beginning of her period, while a woman whose periods are irregular cannot, of course, be subject to such restriction. ');">¹</span> unless the recurrence had been regular three times. Nor is she released from the restrictions of an established regular period unless it has varied three<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the change of date occurred no more than twice the restrictions remain in force (v. supra n. 8 last clause). ');">²</span> times.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Nid. 63b. ');">³</span>

ת"ר ניסת לראשון ולא היו לה בנים לשני ולא היו לה בנים לשלישי לא תנשא אלא למי שיש לו בנים נישאת למי שאין לו בנים תצא בלא כתובה

'And the ox [whose owner has been] forewarned'? — As we learned: An ox is not deemed a <i>mu'ad</i> unless [its owner] has been forewarned three times.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' B.K. 23b. ');">⁴</span> Our Rabbis taught: A woman who had been married to one husband and had no children and to a second husband and again had no children, may marry a third man only if he has children. If she married one who has had no children she must be divorced without receiving her <i>kethubah</i>. The question was raised: Where she married a third husband and bore no children, may her first two husbands reclaim [the respective amounts of her <i>kethubah</i>]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which each of them paid her when their respective divorces had taken place. ');">⁵</span>

איבעיא להו נישאת לשלישי ולא היו לה בנים מהו דליתבעוה הנך קמאי מי מצו אמרי לה איגלאי מילתא דאת הוא דגרמת או דלמא מצית אמרה להו השתא הוא דכחשי מסתברא מצית אמרה להו השתא הוא דכחשי

Can they plead, 'It has now been proved that you were the cause',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of the absence of any issue. ');">⁶</span> or can she retort, 'It is only now that I have deteriorated'? — It stands to reason that she may plead, 'It is only now that I have deteriorated'. The question was raised: If she married a fourth husband and gave birth to children, may she claim her <i>kethubah</i> from her third husband? — We advise her: 'Your silence is better than your speech'; for<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Should she persist in her claim. ');">⁷</span>

איבעיא להו נישאת לרביעי והיו לה בנים מהו דתיתבעיה לשלישי אמרינן לה שתיקותיך יפה מדיבוריך דמצי אמר לה אנא אדעתא דהכי לא גרשתיך

he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Her third husband. ');">⁸</span> could tell her, 'I would not have divorced you in such circumstances'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That she was not really barren. By advancing such a plea the husband might retrospectively annul the divorce altogether. ');">⁹</span> R. Papa demurred: Even if she keeps silence, should we remain silent? The divorce, surely,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the third husband's plea is tenable. ');">¹⁰</span>

מתקיף לה רב פפא אי איהי שתקא אנן מי שתקינן נמצא גט בטל ובניה ממזרין אלא אמרינן השתא הוא דברייתא:

is annulled,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since it was given under a misapprehension. ');">¹¹</span> and her children are bastards! In truth,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The third husband's plea is really untenable. Once he has determined to divorce her, at a time when her sterility was a matter of doubt, he cannot again retract. ');">¹²</span> the fact is,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The reason why she cannot claim her kethubah. ');">¹³</span>

הוא אמר מינה והיא אמרה מיניה אמר רבי אמי דברים שבינו לבינה נאמנת וטעמא מאי היא קיימא לה ביורה כחץ הוא לא קים ליה ביורה כחץ

that it is assumed that she has now been restored to health.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But was incapable of conception at the time of her divorce; and this is the reason why she has no claim for her kethubah upon the third man. ');">¹⁴</span> If the husband<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Refusing to pay his wife's kethubah. ');">¹⁵</span> pleads, 'The fault is hers'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That their union had produced no issue. Lit., from her'. ');">¹⁶</span>

אמר איהו איזיל אינסיב איתתא ואיבדוק נפשאי אמר רבי אמי אף בזו יוציא ויתן כתובה שאני אומר כל הנושא אשה על אשתו יוציא ויתן כתובה רבא אמר נושא אדם כמה נשים על אשתו והוא דאית ליה למיזיינינהי

and the wife pleads, 'The fault is his',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'from him' (cf. supra n. 12). ');">¹⁷</span> R. Ammi ruled: In private matrimonial affairs<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'things which are between him and her'. ');">¹⁸</span> the wife is believed. And what is the reason? — She is in a position to know whether emission is forceful,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'shoots like an arrow', which is an essential in fertilization. V. Hag. 15a. ');">¹⁹</span> but he is not in a position to know it. If the husband states that he intends taking another wife to test his potency.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To beget children. ');">²⁰</span> R. Ammi ruled: 'He must in this case also divorce [his present wife] and pay her the amount of her <i>kethubah</i>; for I maintain that whosoever takes in addition to his present wife another one must divorce the former and pay her the amount of her <i>kethubah</i>.' Raba said: A man may marry wives in addition to his first wife; provided only that he possesses the means to maintain them.