Yevamot 242

שמא חבר הוא ות"ק אגב איצצא מזקי ליה

that he might be a charmer.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Tosef. Yeb. XIV. ');">¹</span> But the first Tanna?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Why, in view of R. Judah b. Bathyra's reason, does he admit evidence of death in the latter case? ');">²</span> — Owing to the pressure<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of the falling body. ');">³</span> they<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The serpents and scorpions. ');">⁴</span>

תנו רבנן נפל לתוך כבשן האש מעידין עליו ליורה מלאה יין ושמן מעידין עליו משום רבי אחא אמרו של שמן מעידין עליו מפני שהוא מבעיר של יין אין מעידין עליו מפני שהוא מכבה אמרו לו תחלתו מכבה וסופו מבעיר:

injure him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In a lion's den, however, there is much more space, and the body might sometimes fall to one side and the animals, if they happened to be full, would leave it untouched. ');">⁵</span> Our Rabbis taught: [If a man] fell into a burning furnace, evidence may be legally tendered concerning him, [and also if he fell] into a boiler that was full of [boiling]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Standing over the fire. ');">⁶</span> wine or oil, evidence may be legally tendered concerning him. In the name of R. Aha It was stated: [If the man fell into a hot boiler] of oil, evidence may legally be tendered concerning him, because it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The oil when, owing to the fall of the body, it flows over the sides of the boiler into the fire beneath it. ');">⁷</span> adds fuel to the fire;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'it causes to burn'. ');">⁸</span>

א"ר מאיר מעשה באחד שנפל לבור הגדול וכו': תניא אמרו לו לרבי מאיר אין מזכירין מעשה נסים מאי מעשה נסים אילימא דלא אכיל ולא אישתי והכתיב (אסתר ד, טז) וצומו עלי ואל תאכלו ואל תשתו

[but if into one] of wine, no evidence may legally be tendered concerning him, because it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The wine (cf. supra n. 9). ');">⁹</span> extinguishes [the fire].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And, owing to the cooling caused by the liquid, the man might be saved from actual death. ');">¹⁰</span> They,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Rabbis, represented by the view of the first Tanna. ');">¹¹</span> however, said to him: At first it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The wine (cf. supra n. 9). ');">⁹</span>

אלא דלא ניים דאמר רבי יוחנן שבועה שלא אישן שלשה ימים מלקין אותו ויישן לאלתר

extinguishes [the fire to a certain extent] but eventually it causes it to burn [with greater vehemence].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence the ruling that evidence of death may be accepted in the case of a fall into a hot boiler whether the contents be oil or wine. ');">¹²</span> SAID R. MEIR: IT ONCE HAPPENED THAT A MAN FELL INTO A LARGE CISTERN etc. It was taught: They said to R. Meir, 'Miracles cannot be mentioned [as proof]'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the natural course of events the man could not survive long in a cistern. If his death were not caused by the water, some other causes would inevitably bring it about. V. infra. ');">¹³</span> What [did they mean by] 'miracles'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., why should not the man be able to survive if he could keep his head above the water? ');">¹⁴</span> If it be suggested because he neither eats nor drinks, surely [it may be pointed out], It is written in Scripture, <i>And fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink [three days]</i>!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Esth. IV, 16, which shews that it is possible to live for a considerable time without food or drink. ');">¹⁵</span>

ורבי מאיר מאי טעמא אמר רב כהנא כיפין על גב כיפין הוו ורבנן דשישא הוו ור"מ א"א דלא מסריך וניים פורתא

— Rather because he does not sleep. For R. Johanan stated: [A man who said]. 'I take an oath that I will not sleep for three days' is to be flogged<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Malkoth (v. Glos.); for taking a false oath. It is impossible for a human being to live for three days without sleep. ');">¹⁶</span> and he may sleep at once.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In three days' time, accordingly, a man who had fallen into a cistern would inevitably succumb to fatigue and the physical necessity for sleep, and would in the natural course of events be drowned. ');">¹⁷</span> What then is R. Meir's reason?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If no one can withstand the necessity for sleep, why does not R. Meir, in the circumstances mentioned, admit the evidence? ');">¹⁸</span> — R. Kahana replied: There were<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the cistern mentioned in our Mishnah. ');">¹⁹</span>

ת"ר מעשה בבתו של נחוניא חופר שיחין שנפלה לבור הגדול ובאו והודיעו לרבי חנינא בן דוסא שעה ראשונה אמר להם שלום שניה אמר להם שלום שלישית אמר להם עלתה

arches above arches.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Where the man might have slept in comparative safety. ');">²⁰</span> And the Rabbis?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Why do they, in such circumstances, admit the evidence? ');">²¹</span> — They<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The arches. ');">²²</span> were of marble.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Too slippery for anyone to sleep upon them in safety. ');">²³</span>

אמר לה בתי מי העלך אמרה לו זכר של רחלים נזדמן לי וזקן מנהיגו אמרו לו נביא אתה אמר להם לא נביא אנכי ולא בן נביא אנכי אלא דבר שהצדיק מתעסק בו יכשל בו זרעו

And R. Meir? — It is hardly possible that the man did not hang<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] rt. [H] 'to clutch', 'to twist'. ');">²⁴</span> on to [the arches] and doze a while. Our Rabbis taught: It once happened that the daughter of Nehonia the well<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] 'wells' or 'ditches'. Cf. Rashi and Jast. ');">²⁵</span> -digger<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He was engaged In the benevolent occupation of digging wells for the benefit of the pilgrims to Jerusalem who visited the Temple on the occasion of the three major Festivals of the year. The ordinary wells did not suffice for the large influx of men and cattle on these festive occasions. ');">²⁶</span>

אמר רבי אבא אע"פ כן מת בנו בצמא שנאמר (תהלים נ, ג) וסביביו נשערה מאד מלמד שהקדוש ברוך הוא מדקדק עם סביביו כחוט השערה ר' חנינא אמר מהכא (תהלים פט, ח) אל נערץ בסוד קדושים רבה ונורא על כל סביביו:

fell into a large cistern, and people went and reported [the accident] to R. Hanina b. Dosa.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Famous for his miraculous powers of cure and rescue through the efficacy of his prayers. Cf. Ber. 34b, Ta'an. 24b. V. B.K., Sonc. ed. p. 287, n. 11. ');">²⁷</span> During the first hour he said to them, 'All is well'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H], lit., 'peace'. ');">²⁸</span> In the second hour he again said, 'All is well'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H], lit., 'peace'. ');">²⁸</span> In the third he said to them, 'She is saved'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'she went up'. ');">²⁹</span>

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> אפילו שמע מן הנשים אומרות מת איש פלוני דיו ר' יהודה אומר אפי' שמע מן התינוקות אומרים הרי אנו הולכין לספוד ולקבור את איש פלוני בין שהוא מתכוין ובין שאינו מתכוין

'My daughter', he asked her, 'who saved you?' — 'A ram<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'a male of ewes'. — The ram of Isaac (Rashi). ');">³⁰</span> came to my help<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'was appointed for me'. ');">³¹</span> with an aged man<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Abraham (Rashi). ');">³²</span> leading it'. 'Are you', the people asked him, 'a prophet?' — 'I am', he replied, 'neither prophet nor the Son of a prophet; but should the [beneficent] work in which the righteous is engaged<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Well-digging. V. supra p. 859, n. 13. ');">³³</span>

ר' יהודה בן בבא אומר בישראל אע"פ שהוא מתכוין ובעובד כוכבים אם היה מתכוין אין עדותו עדות:

be the cause of disaster<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'shall stumble', 'come to grief'. ');">³⁴</span> to his seed!' R. Abba stated: His<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Nehonia's. ');">³⁵</span> son nevertheless died of thirst; for it is said in Scripture, <i>And round about Him it stormeth mightily</i>,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' PS. L, 3, stormeth = [H] rt. [H] 'hair'. V. next note. ');">³⁶</span> which teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, deals strictly with those round about Him even to a hair's<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'like a thread of a hair', [H] (v. supra n. 4). ');">³⁷</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> ודלמא לא אזלי אמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל דקאמרי הרינו באין מלספוד ומלקבור את איש פלוני

breadth. R. Hanina said, [Proof<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of God's strict dealing with the righteous. ');">³⁸</span> may be adduced] from here: <i>A God dreaded in the great council of the holy ones, and feared of all them that are round about Him</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. LXXXIX, 8; cf. parallel passage B.K. 50a. ');">³⁹</span> MISHNAH. EVEN [A MAN ONLY] HEARD WOMEN SAYING, 'SO-AND-SO IS DEAD', THIS SHOULD SUFFICE FOR HIM.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To tender evidence of death, and to enable the widow to marry again. ');">⁴⁰</span> R. JUDAH SAID: EVEN IF HE ONLY HEARD CHILDREN SAY, 'BEHOLD WE ARE GOING TO MOURN FOR A MAN NAMED SO-AND-SO AND TO BURY HIM' [IT IS SUFFICIENT].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To tender evidence of death, and to enable the widow to marry again. ');">⁴⁰</span>

ודלמא קמצא בעלמא שכיב ליה ואסיקו ליה על שמיה דקאמרי כן וכן רבנן הוו התם כן וכן ספדני הוו התם:

WHETHER [SUCH STATEMENT WAS MADE] WITH THE INTENTION [OF TENDERING EVIDENCE] OR WAS MADE WITH NO SUCH INTENTION [IT IS VALID]. R. JUDAH B. BABA SAID: WITH AN ISRAELITE [THE EVIDENCE IS VALID] EVEN IF THE MAN HAD THE INTENTION [OF ACTING AS WITNESS]. IN THE CASE OF AN IDOLATER, HOWEVER, THE EVIDENCE IS INVALID IF HIS INTENTION WAS [TO ACT AS WITNESS]. GEMARA. Is it not possible that they<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The children spoken of in our Mishnah. ');">⁴¹</span> did not go?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To carry out what they said they were going to do, and that the man in question was in fact not dead. How then could such unreliable evidence be acted upon! ');">⁴²</span> — Rab Judah replied in the name of Samuel: [Our Mishnah deals with a case] where they<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The children spoken of in our Mishnah. ');">⁴¹</span>

ובעובד כוכבים אם היה מתכוין וכו': אמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל לא שנו אלא שנתכוין להתיר אבל נתכוין להעיד עדותו עדות היכי ידעינן אמר רב יוסף בא לבית דין ואמר איש פלוני מת השיאו את אשתו זהו נתכוין להתיר מת סתם זהו נתכוין לעדות

Say, 'Behold we are returning from the mourning for, and the burial of So-and-so'.Is it not possible that a mere ant<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Or 'locust'. ');">⁴³</span> had died and that the children gave it the man's name?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For fun. Cf. supra n. 10. ');">⁴⁴</span> — [It is a case] where they<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The children spoken of in our Mishnah. ');">⁴⁵</span> say, 'Such and such Rabbis were there' or 'such and such funeral orators were there'.

איתמר נמי אמר ריש לקיש לא שנו אלא שנתכוין להתיר אבל נתכוין להעיד עדותו עדות אמר ליה ר' יוחנן לא כך היה מעשה באושעיא ברבי שהתירם עם שמנים וחמשה זקנים אמר להם לא שנו אלא שנתכוין להתיר אבל נתכוין להעיד עדותו עדות ולא הודו לו חכמים

IN THE CASE OF AN IDOLATER, HOWEVER … IF HIS INTENTION WAS etc. Said Rab Judah in the name of Samuel: This<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the evidence is invalid. ');">⁴⁶</span> was taught only in the case where it was his<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The idolater's. ');">⁴⁷</span> intention to enable [the woman] to be permitted,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To marry again. ');">⁴⁸</span> but if his intention was merely to give evidence his testimony is valid. How could this<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The motive of the witness. ');">⁴⁹</span>

אלא מתניתין דקתני ובעובד כוכבים אם היה מתכוין אין עדותו עדות היכי משכחת לה במסיח לפי תומו כי ההוא דהוה קאמר ואזיל מאן איכא בי חיואי מאן איכא בי חיואי שכיב חיואי ואנסבה רב יוסף לדביתהו ההוא דהוה קאמר ואזיל ווי ליה לפרשא זריזא דהוה בפומבדיתא דשכיב ואנסבה רב יוסף ואיתימא רבא לדביתהו

be ascertained? — R. Joseph replied: If he came to Beth din and stated. 'So-and-so is dead, allow his wife to marry again', such evidence is one where his intention was to enable [the woman] to be permitted,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To marry again. ');">⁴⁸</span> [but if he stated], 'He is dead', and nothing more, his intention was merely to give evidence. So It was also stated:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By Amoraim. ');">⁵⁰</span> Resh Lakish said, This<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the evidence is invalid. ');">⁴⁶</span>

ההוא דהוה קאמר ואזיל מאן איכא בי חסא טבע חסא אמר רב נחמן האלקים אכלו כוורי לחסא מדיבוריה דרב נחמן אזלא דביתהו דחסא ואינסבא ולא אמרו לה ולא מידי אמר רב אשי שמע מינה הא דאמור רבנן מים שאין להם סוף אשתו אסורה הני מילי לכתחלה אבל אי נסיב לא מפקינן לה מיניה

was taught only in the case where it was his intention to enable [the woman] to be permitted,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To marry again. ');">⁴⁸</span> but if his intention was merely to give evidence his testimony is valid. Said R. Johanan to him:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Resh Lakish. ');">⁵¹</span> Did it not happen with Oshaia Berabbi,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. n. on [H] supra 105b. ');">⁵²</span>

איכא דאמרי אנסבה רב נחמן לדביתהו אמר חסא גברא רבה איתיה אם איתא דסליק קלא אית ליה למילתא ולא היא לא שנא גברא רבה לא שנא לאו גברא רבה דיעבד אין לכתחלה לא:

that he opposed<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H], so Aruk and Beth Joseph in Eben ha-Ezer XVII. Cur. edd., 'he permitted them with'. ');">⁵³</span> eighty-five elders saying to them that, 'This<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the evidence is invalid. ');">⁴⁶</span> was taught Only in the case where it was his intention to enable [the woman] to be permitted<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To marry again. ');">⁴⁸</span> but if his intention was merely to give evidence his testimony is valid', but the Sages did not agree with him!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Maintaining that even in the latter case the evidence is invalid. ');">⁵⁴</span>

ההוא עובד כוכבים דהוה קאמר ליה לישראל קטול אספסתא ושדי לחיואי בשבתא ואי לא קטילנא לך כדקטילנא לפלוני בר ישראל דאמרי ליה בשיל לי קדירה בשבת ולא בשיל לי וקטילתיה שמעה דביתהו ואתאי לקמיה דאביי שהיתא

But according to the ruling in our Mishnah, that<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'our Mishnah wherein it was taught'. ');">⁵⁵</span> IN THE CASE OF AN IDOLATER, HOWEVER, THE EVIDENCE IS INVALID IF HIS INTENTION WAS [TO ACT AS WITNESS],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From which it follows that if his Intention was not to act as witness his testimony is accepted. ');">⁵⁶</span> how is it possible [for the idolater's testimony ever to be accepted]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' How can one make a statement the object of which is not even to affirm (i.e., to give evidence) that a certain thing had happened, and such a statement nevertheless be accepted as legally reliable? ');">⁵⁷</span> — Where he makes a statement at random;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] lit., 'speaks according to his innocence'; he is merely reporting what he had seen. ');">⁵⁸</span> as was the case where one went about saying, 'Who of the family of Hiwai is here? Who is here of the family of Hiwai? Hiwai is dead!', and R. Joseph allowed his<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hiwa's. ');">⁵⁹</span> wife to marry again. A man<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' An idolater. ');">⁶⁰</span> once went about saying, 'Alas for the valiant rider who was at Pumbeditha, for he is dead'; and R. Joseph, or it might be said, Raba, allowed his wife to marry again. A man once went about saying, 'Who of the family of Hasa is here? Hasa is drowned!' [On hearing this] R. Nahman exclaimed, 'By God, the fish must have eaten Hasa up!' Relying on R. Nahman's exclamation, Hasa's wife went and married again, and no objection was raised against her action.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'and they did not say anything to her'. ');">⁶¹</span> Said R. Ashi: From this<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The acquiescence in the action of Hasa's wife. ');">⁶²</span> it may be inferred that the ruling of the Rabbis<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'that which the Rabbis said'. ');">⁶³</span> that [if a man had fallen into] water which had no [visible] end, his wife is forbidden [to marry again] applies only ab initio, but if someone had already married her, she is not to be taken away from him. Others read: R. Nahman allowed his<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hasa's ');">⁶⁴</span> wife to marry again; for he said, 'Hasa was a great man, and had he come up [out of the water] his rescue would have become known'. The law, however, is not so. For there is no difference between a great man and one who is not great — [In either case] it is permitted<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'yes'. ');">⁶⁵</span> <i>ex post facto</i> and forbidden<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'not'. ');">⁶⁶</span> <i>ab initio</i>. A certain idolater 'once said to an Israelite, 'Cut some grass<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H], grass used as fodder for cattle. ');">⁶⁷</span> and throw it to my cattle on the Sabbath; if not, I will kill you as I have killed So-and-so, that son of an Israelite, to whom I said, "Cook for me a dish on the Sabbath", and whom, as he did not cook for me, I killed'. His wife<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The wife of the Israelite whom the idolater claimed to have killed. ');">⁶⁸</span> heard this and came to Abaye.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To obtain his ruling as to whether she may marry again. ');">⁶⁹</span> As he kept her waiting