Yevamot 40

מסתברא חייבי לאוין תפסי בהו קדושין חייבי כריתות לא תפסי בהו קדושין

— This<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The inclusion of the one who is prohibited by a negative precept and the exclusion of those who are subject to kareth. ');">¹</span> stands to reason, since betrothal of those forbidden by a negative precept is valid while the betrothal of those subject to <i>kareth</i> is not valid.

מתיב רבא איסור מצוה ואיסור קדושה בא עליה או חלץ לה נפטרה צרתה ואי ס"ד חייבי לאוין מדאורייתא לחליצה רמיא לייבום לא רמיא כי בא עליה אמאי נפטרה צרתה

Raba raised an objection: In the case of one forbidden by virtue of a commandment or by virtue of holiness, with whom the Ievir bad intercourse or participated in <i>halizah</i>, her rival is thereby exempt. Now, if one is to assume that those forbidden by a negative precept are Pentateuchally subject to <i>halizah</i> but not to the levirate marriage, why should her rival be exempt when he had intercourse with her? He raised the objection and he also supplied the answer: This is to be understood respectively;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'he taught to sides'. ');">²</span> 'he had intercourse with her' refers to one prohibited by virtue of a commandment,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As defined in our Mishnah. I.e., a woman forbidden by Rabbinic ordinance but who is Pentateuchally permitted and subject to levirate marriage. Intercourse with her consequently exempts her rival. ');">³</span>

הוא מותיב לה והוא מפרק לה לצדדין קתני בא עליה אאיסור מצוה חלץ לה אאיסור קדושה

'participated in <i>halizah</i> with her' refers to the one forbidden by virtue of holiness.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' With whom marriage is forbidden, and her halizah only exempts her rival. ');">⁴</span> Raba raised an objection: He who is wounded in the stones or has his privy member cut off, a man-made saris,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'eunuch of man', opp. to natural castration due to a disease etc. V. notes on the Mishnah, infra 79b. ');">⁵</span>

מתיב רבא פצוע דכא וכרות שפכה סריס אדם והזקן או חולצין או מייבמין כיצד מתו ולהם אחים ולהם נשים ועמדו אחין ועשו מאמר בנשותיהן ונתנו גט וחלצו מה שעשו עשו ואם בעלו קנו

and an old man, may either participate in <i>halizah</i> or contract levirate marriage. How?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., in what circumstances is the law mentioned applicable. ');">⁶</span> If these died and were survived by brothers and by wives, and those brothers arose and addressed a ma'amar to the widows, or gave them letters of divorce, or participated with them in <i>halizah</i>, their actions are legally valid;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'what they have done is done'; a divorce is required in respect of the ma'amar; no marriage may take place after the divorce, though no ma'amar preceded it, and the halizah is valid. ');">⁷</span>

מתו אחים ועמדו הם ועשו מאמר בנשותיהן ונתנו גט או שחלצו מה שעשו עשו ואם בעלו קנו ואסור לקיימן משום שנאמר (דברים כג, ב) לא יבא פצוע דכא ואי סלקא דעתך חייבי לאוין מדאורייתא לחליצה רמיא לייבום לא רמיא אם בעלו אמאי קנו

if they had intercourse with them, the widows become their lawful wives.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'they acquired'. ');">⁸</span> If the brothers died and they<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the maimed persons mentioned, or the old man. ');">⁹</span>

אלא אמר רבא אלמנה מן האירוסין נמי עשה ולא תעשה הוא דכתיב (ויקרא כא, ו) קדושים יהיו לאלהיהם

arose and addressed a ma'amar to their wives, or gave them divorce, or participated with them in <i>halizah</i>, their actions are valid,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'what they have done is done'; a divorce is required in respect of the ma'amar; no marriage may take place after the divorce, though no ma'amar preceded it, and the halizah is valid. ');">⁷</span> and if they had intercourse with them, the widows become their lawful wives but they<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., those that are maimed. The old man is excluded. V. infra. ');">¹⁰</span>

ממזרת ונתינה מאי איכא למימר כתיב (ויקרא יא, מד) והתקדשתם

may not retain them, because it is said in the Scriptures — He that is wounded in the stones or hath his privy member cut off shall not enter [into the assembly of the Lord].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXIII, 2. V. Tosef. Yeb. XI, infra 79b. ');">¹¹</span> Now, if it could be assumed that those forbidden by a negative precept are Pentateuchally subject to <i>halizah</i> and not to levirate marriage, why should the widows become their lawful wives if they<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Who are crushed or maimed in their privy parts and who are, therefore, forbidden by a negative precept to marry an Israelite's daughter. ');">¹²</span>

אי הכי כל התורה כולה נמי עשה ולא תעשה הוא דכתיב והתקדשתם אלא אמר רבא גזירה אלמנה מן האירוסין אטו אלמנה מן הנשואין

had intercourse with them?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This proves that those forbidden by negative precept are subject to levirate marriage no less than to halizah, and thus the question remains, why should an erusin widow be forbidden in levirate marriage to a High Priest? ');">¹³</span> But, said Raba, [say rather that] an erusin widow is forbidden<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To a High Priest. ');">¹⁴</span>

ממזרת ונתינה מאי איכא למימר גזירה במקום מצוה אטו שלא במקום מצוה

by both a positive and a negative precept, for it is written in the Scriptures, They shall be holy unto their God.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXI, 6. This text adds a positive precept to the negative one of ibid. 14, and for this reason an erusin widow is forbidden in levirate marriage to a High Priest. ');">¹⁵</span> What, however, can be said in respect of a bastard or a nethinah?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Marriage with whom is forbidden by a negative precept only and yet may not be superseded by the positive precept of the levirate. ');">¹⁶</span>

אלא מעתה אשת אחיו מאביו לא תתייבם גזירה משום אשת אחיו מאמו ייבום בנחלה תלא רחמנא מידע ידיע

— It is written, And sanctify yourselves.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XI, 44cf. p. 119, n. 11. ');">¹⁷</span> If so,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That Lev. XI, 44 provides a text from which a positive precept may be deduced and added to the negative one. ');">¹⁸</span>

אשה שאין לה בנים לא תתייבם גזירה משום אשה שיש לה בנים בבנים תלא רחמנא מידע ידיע

all the [negative precepts of the] Torah should be regarded as positive and negative since it is written in the Scriptures, And sanctify yourselves!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XI, 44cf. p. 119, n. 11. ');">¹⁷</span> But, said Raba, [the fact is that]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Raba's answer thus being rebutted, there remains the question, why should an erusin widow be forbidden in levirate marriage to a High Priest. ');">¹⁹</span>

אשת אחיו שהיה בעולמו לא תתייבם גזרה משום אשת אחיו שלא היה בעולמו בישיבה תלא רחמנא מידע ידיע

an erusin widow is forbidden<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To a High Priest. ');">²⁰</span> as a preventive measure against the marriage of a nissu'in widow.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Not because those forbidden by a negative precept may not contract levirate marriage. Pentateuchally, in fact, they may; and this is the reason why marital intercourse with such consummates marriage, as stated supra. ');">²¹</span>

כל הנשים לא תתייבמנה גזרה משום אילונית לא שכיחא ממזרת ונתינה נמי לא שכיחא

What, however, can be replied in respect of a bastard and a nethinah?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Why are these forbidden levirate marriage? ');">²²</span> — [The prohibition in] the case where a precept is applicable<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Such as the precept of the levirate marriage. ');">²³</span>

אלא אמר רבא גזרה ביאה ראשונה אטו ביאה שניה

is a preventive measure against [a marriage] where no precept is applicable. If so, let one's paternal brother's wife not be allowed levirate marriage as a preventive measure against marriage with the wife of his maternal brother! — 'We All Merciful made levirate marriage dependent on inheritance<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra 17b, infra 240. ');">²⁴</span> [and the relationship] is, therefore, well known.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Everybody knows whether the brother is paternal or only maternal. ');">²⁵</span>

תניא נמי הכי אם בעלו קנו בביאה ראשונה ואסור לקיימן בביאה שניה

A woman, then, who has no children should not be taken in levirate marriage as a preventive measure against the marriage of a woman who has children! — The All Merciful made levirate marriage dependent on [the absence of] children, [and the fact<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That there are children, or that there are not. as the case may be. ');">²⁶</span> would be] well known. The wife of one's contemporary brother should not be taken in levirate marriage as a preventive measure against marriage with the wife of one's brother who was not one's contemporary! — The All Merciful has made it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Levirate marriage. ');">²⁷</span>

הדר אמר רבא ואיתימא רב אשי לאו מילתא היא דאמרי דאמר ריש לקיש כל מקום שאתה מוצא עשה ולא תעשה אם אתה יכול לקיים שניהם מוטב ואם לאו יבא עשה וידחה את לא תעשה הכא נמי אפשר בחליצה דמקיים עשה ולא תעשה

dependent on dwelling together<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., that the brothers must be contemporaries. v. supra. ');">²⁸</span> [and the fact]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the levir was, or was not 'dwelling together with the deceased'. ');">²⁹</span>

מיתיבי ואם בעלו קנו תיובתא:

is well known. All women should not be taken in levirate marriage as a preventive measure against the marriage of a woman incapable of procreation! — This<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That a woman should be incapable of procreation. ');">³⁰</span> is unusual.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And there is no need to provide against rare cases. ');">³¹</span>

איתמר ביאת כהן גדול באלמנה רבי יוחנן ור' אלעזר חד אמר אינה פוטרת צרתה וחד אמר פוטרת צרתה

A bastard and a nethinah also are unusual!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And yet they were forbidden as a preventive measure. ');">³²</span> — But, said Raba, [this is the reason]: The first act of Intercourse<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the levirate marriage, Pentateuchally permissible even in the case of one forbidden by a negative precept, the positive precept overriding the negative. ');">³³</span> is forbidden<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the case of an erusin widow. ');">³⁴</span> as a preventive measure against a second act of intercourse.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When only the prohibition under the negative precept remains, the positive precept of the levirate marriage having been fulfilled with the first act of intercourse. ');">³⁵</span> It has been taught likewise: If they<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Those who are forbidden marriage by a negative precept. ');">³⁶</span> had intercourse [with any of the forbidden women] they acquire [her as wife] by the first act of intercourse, but may not keep her for a second act of intercourse.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sanh. 19a. ');">³⁷</span> Subsequently Raba, others say R. Ashi, said: The statement I made<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the first act of intercourse is Pentateuchally permitted. ');">³⁸</span> is valueless,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'it is nothing'. ');">³⁹</span> for Resh Lakish said, 'Wherever you come upon a combination of a positive and a negative precept and<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'if'. ');">⁴⁰</span> you are able to act in conformity with both, well and good; but if not, the positive precept must override the negative'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Shab. 133a, Naz. 41a, Men. 56a. ');">⁴¹</span> Similarly here<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The case of the erusin widow of a brother of a High Priest who died after betrothal and before marriage. ');">⁴²</span> it is possible to perform <i>halizah</i>, whereby one is enabled to keep the positive as well as the negative precept. An objection was raised: If they<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Those who are forbidden marriage by a negative precept. ');">³⁶</span> had intercourse [with any of the forbidden women] they acquire [her as wife]!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which shews that Pentateuchally the positive precept of levirate marriage does supersede the prohibition of marrying a widow. Had that not been the case, the levir's Pentateuchal illegitimate intercourse could not have constituted a legal bond of marriage. ');">⁴³</span> — This is indeed a refutation. It was stated: Concerning an act of intercourse between a High Priest and a widow<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Whose deceased husband, the High Priest's brother, died without issue. ');">⁴⁴</span> [there is a difference of opinion between] R. Johanan and R. Eleazar. One maintains that it does not exempt her rival,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From the levirate marriage or halizah. ');">⁴⁵</span> and the other maintains that it does exempt her rival.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As well as herself, who would, as a result, require a divorce but no halizah. ');">⁴⁶</span> )