Yevamot 212

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> מצות חליצה בא הוא ויבמתו לבית דין והן משיאין לו עצה ההוגנת לו שנאמר (דברים כה, ח) וקראו לו זקני עירו ודברו אליו

MISHNAH. [THIS IS THE PROCEDURE IN THE PERFORMANCE OF] THE COMMANDMENT OF <i>HALIZAH</i>: HE<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The levir. ');">¹</span> AND HIS DECEASED BROTHER'S WIFE COME UNTO THE <i>BETH DIN</i>, AND [THE LATTER] OFFER HIM SUCH ADVICE AS IS SUITABLE TO HIS CONDITION,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As, for instance, whether the respective ages or characters of the parties are likely to be conducive to a happy union. Cf. supra 44a, 101b. ');">²</span> FOR IT IS SAID IN THE SCRIPTURES, THEN THE ELDERS OF HIS CITY SHALL CALL HIM AND SPEAK UNTO HIM.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXV, 8. ');">³</span> SHE THEN ANNOUNCES: MY HUSBAND'S BROTHER REFUSETH TO RAISE UP UNTO HIS BROTHER A NAME IN ISRAEL; HE WILL NOT PERFORM THE DUTY OF A HUSBAND'S BROTHER UNTO ME.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXV, 7. ');">⁴</span> THEN HE MAKES THE DECLARATION: I LIKE NOT TO TAKE HER.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 8. ');">⁵</span>

והיא אומרת מאן יבמי להקים לאחיו שם בישראל לא אבה יבמי והוא אומר לא חפצתי לקחתה ובלשון הקדש היו אומרים ונגשה יבמתו אליו לעיני הזקנים וחלצה נעלו מעל רגלו וירקה בפניו רוק הנראה לדיינים וענתה ואמרה ככה יעשה לאיש אשר לא יבנה את בית אחיו עד כאן היו מקרין

[THESE FORMULAE] WERE ALWAYS SPOKEN IN THE HOLY TONGUE.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The classical Hebrew in which the formulae appear in the Scripture. Cf. Sot. 32a. ');">⁶</span> THEN SHALL HIS BROTHER'S WIFE DRAW NIGH UNTO HIM IN THE PRESENCE OF THE THE ELDERS AND DRAW<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.V., loose. ');">⁷</span> HIS SHOE FROM OFF HIS FOOT, AND SPIT BEFORE<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.V., in. ');">⁸</span> HIS FACE,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXV, 9. ');">⁹</span> SUCH SPITTLE AS THE JUDGES CAN SEE, AND SHE RAISES HER VOICE AND SAYS:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.V. 'And she shall answer and say'. ');">¹⁰</span>

וכשהקרא רבי הורקנוס תחת האלה בכפר עיטם וגמר את כל הפרשה הוחזקו להיות גומרין כל הפרשה ונקרא שמו בישראל בית חלוץ הנעל מצוה בדיינין ולא מצוה בתלמידים רבי יהודה אומר מצוה על כל העומדים שם לומר חלוץ הנעל:

SO SHALL IT BE DONE UNTO THE MAN THAT DOTH NOT BUILD UP HIS BROTHER'S HOUSE,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. ');">¹¹</span> THUS FAR<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., to the end of v. 9. ');">¹²</span> USED THEY TO RECITE.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Or 'dictate'. The judges dictated and the parties recited. ');">¹³</span> WHEN, HOWEVER, R. HYRKANUS, UNDER THE TEREBINTH AT KEFAR ETAM,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Var. lec.. [H], Cambridge Mishnah M.S. [H]. Krauss MGWF 1907, p. 332 reads [H], Capphare Accho in lower Galilee. Etam is mentioned in Judges XV, 8 and 11, I Chron. IV, 32 and II Chron. XI, 6]. ');">¹⁴</span> ONCE DICTATED THE READING AND COMPLETED THE ENTIRE SECTION,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To the end of v. 10. ');">¹⁵</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> אמר רב יהודה מצות חליצה קוראה וקורא וחולצת ורוקקה וקוראה מאי קמשמע לן מתני' היא הא קמשמע לן מצוה הכי ואי אפיך לית לן בה

THE PRACTICE WAS ESTABLISHED TO COMPLETE THE ENTIRE SECTION. [THAT] HIS NAME SHALL BE CALLED IN ISRAEL, 'THE HOUSE OF HIM THAT HAD HIS SHOE DRAWN<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.V., loosed. ');">¹⁶</span> OFF',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXV, 10. ');">¹⁷</span> IS A COMMANDMENT [TO BE PERFORMED] BY THE JUDGES AND NOT BY THE DISCIPLES.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Who happen to be present when the halizah ceremony is being performed. ');">¹⁸</span> R. JUDAH, HOWEVER, RULED: IT IS A DUTY INCUMBENT UPON ALL PRESENT TO CRY '[THE MAN]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.V., him. ');">¹⁹</span>

תניא נמי הכי בין שהקדים חליצה לרקיקה ובין שהקדים רקיקה לחליצה מה שעשה עשוי

THAT HAD HIS SHOE DRAWN<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.V., loosed. ');">¹⁶</span> OFF'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXV, 10. ');">¹⁷</span> GEMARA. Rab Judah stated: [This is the procedure in the performance of] the commandment of <i>halizah</i>: She recites;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The formula prescribed in Deut. XXV, 7. ');">²⁰</span> he recites;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The formula, ibid. 8. ');">²¹</span> she draws off his shoe, spits and recites.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 9. Cf. Sanh. 49b. ');">²²</span>

אמר אביי האי מאן דמקרי גט חליצה לא ליקרי לדידה לא לחודיה ואבה יבמי לחודיה דמשמע אבה יבמי אלא לא אבה יבמי

What does he teach us [by this statement]? This is our very Mishnah! — It is this that he teaches us: The prescribed procedure is such, but if the order was reversed, it does not matter. So it was also taught: Whether the drawing off of the shoe preceded the spitting or whether the spitting preceded the drawing off, the act is valid.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'what he did is done'. Sanh. 49b, supra 105a. ');">²³</span> Abaye ruled: The man who dictates the <i>halizah</i> formulae<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'document', 'deed'. ');">²⁴</span> shall not read for the woman [the word] not<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H]. (Deut. XXV, 7) which is the first word of the formula. ');">²⁵</span> separately and [the clause] he will perform the duty of a husband's brother unto me<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] ibid. ');">²⁶</span> separately, since this<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The severance of the latter clause from the negative particle. ');">²⁷</span>

ולא ליקרי לדידיה לא לחודיה חפצתי לחודיה דמשמע חפצתי לקחתה אלא לא חפצתי לקחתה רבא אמר אפסוקי מילתא היא ואפסוקי מילתא לית לן בה

would convey the meaning, 'He desires to perform the duty of a husband's brother to me'; but [should read without a pause]. He will not perform the duty of a husband's brother unto me. Nor shall he read for the levir [the word] not<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXV, 8, cf. supra n. 3. ');">²⁸</span> separately and [the clause] I like<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXV, 8, cf. supra n. 3. ');">²⁸</span> separately; for this<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The severance of the latter clause from the negative particle. ');">²⁷</span> would convey the meaning. 'I like to take her'; but [he should read without a pause], I like not to take her.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. ');">²⁹</span> Raba, however, stated: This<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Each of the clauses mentioned by Abaye. ');">³⁰</span>

רב אשי אשכחיה לרב כהנא דקמצטער ומקרי לה לא אבה יבמי אמר ליה לא סבר ליה מר להא דרבא

is only the conclusion<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H]. This is the reading of Alfasi, Asheri and BaH. Cur. edd., [H] 'breaking', 'pausing'. ');">³¹</span> of a sentence, and in a concluding clause [a pause] is of no consequence.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence it is permitted to make a break between 'not' and the rest of the formula. ');">³²</span> R. Ashi found R. Kahana making a painful effort to read out for a woman,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A sister-in-law for whom he was arranging a halizah. ');">³³</span> He will not perform the duty of a husband's brother unto me,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The prescribed formula in Deut. XXV, 7. ');">³⁴</span> [without a pause]. 'Does not the Master,' he asked him, 'accept the ruling of Raba?'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra, that a pause after 'not' is immaterial. ');">³⁵</span>

אמר ליה מודה רבא בלא אבה יבמי אמר אביי האי מאן דכתב גיטא דחליצתא ליכתוב הכי אקרינוה לדידה מן מאן יבמי עד אבה יבמי ואקרינוהו לדידיה מן לא עד לקחתה ואקרינוה לדידה מן ככה ועד חלוץ הנעל

— 'Raba', the other replied, 'admits in [the case of the formula] He will not perform the duty of a husband's brother unto me<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The prescribed formula in Deut. XXV, 7. ');">³⁴</span> [that no pause is permitted].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It is only in the formula of the levir, in which the negative particle, 'not', forms the first word and cannot consequently be misunderstood as being connected with any previous word, that a pause does not matter. In the woman's formula, however, where the negative particle occurs in the middle of a clause, a pause after it might imply the connection of the negative with the preceding words, so that the clause following it would assume the meaning of an affirmative statement. ');">³⁶</span> Abaye stated: The person who writes a certificate of <i>halizah</i> shall word it as follows: 'We read out for her<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The sister-in-law. ');">³⁷</span> from My husband's brother refuseth<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The prescribed formula in Deut. XXV, 7. ');">³⁸</span> to<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The middle portion of the formula is omitted, since it is forbidden to write down more than three consecutive words of the Pentateuch on unruled paper (cf. Git. 6b). The words permitted to be written according to Abaye represent in the Hebrew no more than two consecutive words. ');">³⁹</span>

מר זוטרא משרטט וכתיב לכולא פרשה מתקיף לה מר בר אידי והא לא ניתן ליכתב והלכתא כוותיה דמר זוטרא

will perform the duty of a husband's brother unto me;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra p. 735, n. 4. ');">⁴⁰</span> and we read out for him<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The levir. ');">⁴¹</span> from not<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H], the beginning of the levir's first formula. ');">⁴²</span> to<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The middle portion of the formula is omitted, since it is forbidden to write down more than three consecutive words of the Pentateuch on unruled paper (cf. Git. 6b). The words permitted to be written according to Abaye represent in the Hebrew no more than two consecutive words. ');">³⁹</span> to take her;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. ');">⁴³</span>

אמר אביי רקקה וקלטתו הרוח לא עשתה ולא כלום מאי טעמא וירקה בפניו בעינן הלכך הוא ארוך והיא גוצה קלטתהו הרוח איכא בפניו היא ארוכה והוא גוץ בעינן עד דמטי להדי אפיה והדר אזיל

and we read out for her from So<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXV, 9. ');">⁴⁴</span> to<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra note 3. ');">⁴⁵</span> him that had his shoe drawn off.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 10, E.V., loosed. ');">⁴⁶</span> Mar Zutra ruled [the paper]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the halizah certificate, cf. Git. 6b. ');">⁴⁷</span> and copied the full text.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of each formula, not merely, as Abaye taught, its first and last words. ');">⁴⁸</span>

אמר רבא אכלה תומא ורקתה אכלה גרגישתא ורקתה לא עשתה ולא כלום מאי טעמא וירקה מעצמה בעינן וליכא ואמר רבא צריכי דייני למיחזי רוקא כי נפיק מפומא דיבמה דכתיב לעיני הזקנים וירקה:

Mar b. Idi<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Others, 'Mar b. R. Ashi'. V. Alfasi and Asheri. ');">⁴⁹</span> demurred: But, surely, [a section only of the Pentateuch] is not permitted to be written!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Pentateuch in its entirety only may be copied. Cf. Git. 60a. ');">⁵⁰</span> The law, however, is in agreement with the ruling of Mar Zutra.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The prohibition against copying a section of the Pentateuch being limited to one that is to be used for teaching purposes. One, however, that is to be used as a mere record, as in the case of the Halizah certificate, does not come under the prohibition. ');">⁵¹</span> Abaye stated: If, when she spat. the wind carried the spittle away,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'received', 'clutched', 'absorbed'. ');">⁵²</span> her act is invalid.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'she did not do anything'. ');">⁵³</span>

ונקרא שמו בישראל בית חלוץ הנעל מצוה בדיינין ולא בתלמידים: תניא א"ר יהודה פעם אחת היינו יושבים לפני רבי טרפון ובאתה יבמה לחלוץ ואמר לנו ענו כולכם חלוץ הנעל חלוץ הנעל חלוץ הנעל:

What is the reason? — It is necessary that she shall spit before<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.V., in. ');">⁵⁴</span> his face.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXV, 9. ');">⁴⁴</span> If, therefore, he was tall and she was short, and the wind carried the spittle away,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra note 16. ');">⁵⁵</span> her act is deemed to have been<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'there is'. ');">⁵⁶</span> before his face.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' lbid., since at the moment the spittle left her mouth it was before the levir's face. ');">⁵⁷</span>

<br><br><big><strong>הדרן עלך מצות חליצה</strong></big><br><br>

If, however, she was tall and he was short, it is necessary that [the spittle] shall drop to the level of his face before<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'and then'. ');">⁵⁸</span> it disappears. Raba stated: If she ate garlic and then spat<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Impulsively owing to the unpleasant taste in her mouth. ');">⁵⁹</span> or if she ate a clod of earth and then spat,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Impulsively owing to the unpleasant taste in her mouth. ');">⁵⁹</span> her act is invalid.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'she did not do anything'. ');">⁵³</span> What is the reason? — Because it is necessary that she shall spit<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXV, 9. ');">⁴⁴</span> of her own free will, which is not the case here.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The garlic or the clod of earth having been the cause of her involuntary or instinctive action. ');">⁶⁰</span> Raba further stated: The judges must see the spittle issuing from the mouth of the sister-in-law, because it is written in Scripture Before the eyes of the elders&nbsp;… and spit.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXV, 9. ');">⁶¹</span> [THAT] HIS NAME SHALL BE CALLED IN ISRAEL, 'THE HOUSE OF HIM THAT HAD HIS SHOE DRAWN OFF' IS A COMMANDMENT [TO BE PERFORMED] BY THE JUDGES AND NOT BY THE DISCIPLES. It was taught: R. Judah stated: We were once sitting before R. Tarfon when a sister-in-law came to perform <i>halizah</i>, and he said to us, 'Exclaim all of you: <i>Haluz ha-na'al,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' '(The man) that had his shoe drawn off'. V. Deut. XXV, 10. ');">⁶²</span></i> haluz ha-na'al, haluz ha-na'al</i>!'