Yevamot 229

דאי בעיא אמרה שלום בעולם או דלמא כיון דאיחזקה אמרה בדדמי ולא אתי מה לי לשקר ומרע חזקתיה

since, if she wished, she could have said that there was peace in the world;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And as no one could have contradicted her, she would have been believed in saying that her husband was dead and she would have obtained her object; hence she is believed even when she reported that there was a war. ');">¹</span> or, perhaps. since a war was established [by her] she speaks<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Alfasi: 'Since it was established that (in time of war) she speaks … the argument etc.'. ');">²</span> from conjecture.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When her husband was involved in a war. ');">³</span> and the argument. 'What motive could she have for telling a lie'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. supra n. 3. ');">⁴</span>

ת"ש עישינו עלינו בית עישינו עלינו מערה הוא מת ואני נצלתי אינה נאמנת שאני התם דאמר לה כי היכי דלדידך איתרחיש ניסא לדידיה נמי איתרחיש ניסא

cannot come and impair an established principle? — Come and hear: [If a woman states]. 'They<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Brigands. in a time of war. ');">⁵</span> set our house on fire',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'they caused a house to smoke upon us'. ');">⁶</span> or 'They filled the cave wherein we sheltered<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., upon us'. ');">⁷</span> with smoke, and he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Her husband. ');">⁸</span>

ת"ש נפלו עלינו עובדי כוכבים נפלו עלינו ליסטים הוא מת ונצלתי נאמנת התם כדרב אידי דא"ר אידי אשה כלי זיינה עליה

died while I escaped'. she is not believed!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This proves that her statement that her husband is dead is not accepted although it was through her that it became known that there ever was a state of war. ');">⁹</span> There it is different since she can be told,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As she has not actually seen his death. ');">¹⁰</span> 'As a miracle happened to you. so may a miracle have happened to him<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Her husband. ');">⁸</span> also'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It is for this reason, and not because she is suspected of lying. that her evidence is not regarded as sufficient proof for establishing the death of her husband. In the case of a war, however, it may well be assumed that she had actually seen the death of her husband, since, had she desired to deceive, she need not have disclosed the fact that there ever was a war. ');">¹¹</span>

ההוא גברא דבשילהי הלוליה איתלי נורא בי גנני אמרה להו דביתהו חזו גבראי חזו גבראי אתו חזו גברא חרוכא דשדי ופסתא דידא דשדיא

Come and hear: [If a woman states]. 'ldolaters fell upon us', or, 'robbers fell upon us,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Circumstances similar to those of a war. ');">¹²</span> and he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Her husband. ');">⁸</span> died while I escaped'. she is believed!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which proves that a wife is believed when she states that her husband died in circumstances akin to war if these become known solely through her own evidence. ');">¹³</span> — There<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the incident did not happen in war time but only in analogous circumstances. ');">¹⁴</span>

סבר רב חייא בר אבין למימר היינו עישינו עלינו בית עישינו עלינו מערה אמר רבא מי דמי התם לא קאמרה חזו גבראי חזו גבראי ועוד גברא חרוכא דשדי ופסתא דידא דשדיא

[her statement is believed] in accordance with the view of R. Idi. For R. Idi stated: A woman [carries] her weapons about her.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'A.Z 25b; i.e., her sex is her protection against murder. When, therefore, her husband is attacked, unless there was actually a state of war, she does not flee to save her own life, but remains on the spot to the very end. Her evidence that her husband is dead may consequently be accepted as that of an eye witness. This, therefore, provides no proof that a wife is also believed if an actual state of war existed when her husband's death presumably occurred. ');">¹⁵</span> There was once a man whose bridal chamber caught fire at the close of his wedding feast, and his wife cried, 'Look at my husband, look at my husband!' When they came near they saw a charred body<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'man'. ');">¹⁶</span> that was prostrate [on the ground] and the hand [of a man]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Who apparently attempted to rescue the bridegroom. ');">¹⁷</span> lying [by it]. R. Hiyya b. Abin intended to give his decision [that the law in this case] is the same as [that where a woman stated]. 'They set our house on fire', or 'they filled the cave wherein we sheltered with smoke'. Raba, however, said: Are [the two cases at all] similar? There, she did not say. 'Look at my husband, look at my husband'!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence it is possible that her husband did not die at all. ');">¹⁸</span>

ורב חייא בר אבין גברא חרוכא דשדיא אימא איניש אחרינא אתא לאצולי ואכילתיה נורא ופסתא דידא דשדיא נורא איתליא ואתיליד ביה מומא ומחמת כיסופא אזל וערק לעלמא

while<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. MS.M. Cur. edd. read 'and furthermore'. ');">¹⁹</span> here [those present actually saw] the charred body that was prostrate [on the ground] and the hand that was lying by it. And R. Hiyya b. Abin?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' How could he possibly compare the two cases? ');">²⁰</span> — As to the charred body<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'man'. ');">¹⁶</span> that was prostrate [on the ground]. it may be suggested that a stranger<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'another man'. ');">²¹</span>

איבעיא להו עד אחד במלחמה מהו טעמא דעד אחד מהימן משום דמילתא דעבידא לאיגלויי הוא לא משקר ה"נ לא משקר או דלמא טעמא דעד אחד משום דהיא גופא דייקא ומינסבא והכא [כיון דזימנין דסניא ליה] לא דייקא ומינסבא

came to the rescue of [the burning man] and was himself burned,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'and the fire consumed him'. ');">²²</span> while the hand which was lying [nearby, might be that of the bridegroom who] having been caught by the fire was mutilated;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'a blemish was born or produced on him'. He lost his hand. ');">²³</span> and<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In explanation of his disappearance. ');">²⁴</span> in order [to hide his] shame he may have left the place and fled into the wide world.

אמר רמי בר חמא ת"ש אמר רבי עקיבא כשירדתי לנהרדעא לעבר השנה מצאתי נחמיה איש בית דלי ואמר לי שמעתי שאין משיאין את האשה בארץ ישראל על פי עד אחד אלא רבי יהודה בן בבא ונמתי לו כן הדברים אמר לי אמור להם משמי אתם יודעים המדינה הזו משובשת בגייסות כך מקובלני מר"ג הזקן שמשיאין האשה על פי עד אחד

A question was raised: What is the law in respect of one witness<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Whose evidence is relied upon in allowing a married woman to marry again if he testified that her husband was dead. ');">²⁵</span> In time of war?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Is his evidence accepted? ');">²⁶</span> Is the reason why one witness is [elsewhere]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. supra note 10. ');">²⁷</span> believed because no one would tell a lie which is likely to be exposed<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., concerning a thing which is likely to be revealed, he does not lie'. ');">²⁸</span>

מאי מדינה משובשת בגייסות לאו אע"ג דמדינה זו משובשת כך מקובלני שמשיאין על פי עד אחד אלמא עד אחד מהימן

and, consequently. here also [the witness] would not tell a lie;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And he is believed. ');">²⁹</span> or is it possible that the reason why one witness [is believed]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. supra note 10. ');">²⁷</span> is because [the woman] herself makes careful enquiries and [only then] marries again. here. therefore.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cur. edd. insert in square brackets. 'since she sometimes hates him'. Cf. readings cited by Wilna Gaon, Glosses. ');">³⁰</span> [he would not be believed since a woman]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Speaking in time of war from mere conjecture (cf. Rashal's emendation). ');">³¹</span>

אמר רבא אי הכי מאי שנא מדינה זו כל מקום שיש גייסות מיבעי ליה אלא אמר רבא ה"ק אתם יודעים שמדינה זו משובשת בגייסות ולא אפשר לי למשבק אינשי ביתי ומייתי קמי רבנן כך מקובלני מרבן גמליאל שמשיאין האשה ע"פ עד אחד

does not make sufficient enquiries before she marries again? Rami b. Hama replied. Come and hear: R. Akiba stated: When I went down to Nehardea to intercalate the year. I met Nehemiah of Beth Deli who said to me, 'I heard that in the Land of Israel<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Palestine. ');">³²</span> no one with the exception of R. Judah b. Baba permits a [married] woman to marry again on the evidence of one witness'. 'That is so', I told him' 'Tell them', he said to me. 'in my name: You know that this country is infested<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'entangled'. confused'. ');">³³</span> with raiders; I have this tradition from R. Gamaliel the Elder: That a [married] woman may be allowed to marry again on the evidence of one witness'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. infra 122a. ');">³⁴</span>

ת"ש מעשה בשני תלמידי חכמים שהיו באין עם אבא יוסי בן סימאי בספינה וטבעה והשיא רבי נשותיהן ע"פ נשים והא מים כמלחמה דמו ונשים אפי' מאה כעד א' דמו וקתני השיא

Now, what was meant by 'This country is infested with raiders'? Obviously that<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'not?' ');">³⁵</span> 'although this country is in a state of confusion.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In a condition similar to a state of war. ');">³⁶</span> I have this tradition: That a [married woman] may be allowed to marry again on the evidence of one witness'! Thus it is evident that one witness is believed.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even in a time of war. ');">³⁷</span> Said Raba: If so,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If one witness is believed even when any part of the world is in actual state of war. ');">³⁸</span>

ותסברא מים שאין להם סוף נינהו ומים שאין להם סוף אשתו אסורה אלא ה"ד דאמרי אסקינהו קמן

why should 'this country<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The expression used by R. Nehemiah. ');">³⁹</span> be different?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From other countries. ');">⁴⁰</span> He should [have said]. 'Wherever raiders exist'!-Rather, said Raba, it is this that was meant: 'You know that this country is infested<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'entangled'. confused'. ');">⁴¹</span> with raiders and it is impossible for me to leave my family and to come before the Rabbis; I have this tradition from R. Gamaliel: That a [married] woman may be allowed to marry again on the evidence of one witness Come and hear: Two learned men<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos. s.v. Talmid Hakam. ');">⁴²</span> once travelled with Abba Jose b. Simai on board a ship, which sank. And on the evidence of women, Rabbi<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Judah the Prince. ');">⁴³</span> allowed their wives to marry again. [Now, evidence of death by] water is, surely, like [that of death in] war, and women, even a hundred of them, are legally equal to one witness,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf supra 88b. ');">⁴⁴</span> and yet it was stated [that Rabbi] 'Allowed … to marry'!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From which it follows that one witness is believed (cf. supra p. 811, n. 10) even in a time of war. ');">⁴⁵</span> — And do you understand this?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rabbi's ruling in the case of the wives of the drowned scholars. ');">⁴⁶</span> Those<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the sea. ');">⁴⁷</span> were waters without [a visible] end,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., all the limits cannot he seen from any one point on the shore. Cf. infra 121a. ');">⁴⁸</span> and [when a man is drowned in] waters without [a visible] end his wife is forbidden [to marry again]!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even if fully qualified men had witnessed the accident, because it is possible that the man may have swum to, or the waters have cast him upon another part of the shore where he was rescued. As all the shore line cannot be seen from the point where he fell into the waters (v. supra n. 5) his rescue may have been effected, though none of the men of the locality have observed it ');">⁴⁹</span> How, then, is this to be understood? [Obviously] that they<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The women who gave evidence. ');">⁵⁰</span> stated, '[The drowned men] were cast up in our presence