Yevamot 42

דאורייתא היא דכתיב (ויקרא יח, טו) ערות כלתך לא תגלה אימא כלת בנו וכלת בנו יש לה הפסק והא תניא כלתו ערוה כלת בנו שניה וכן אתה אומר בבנו ובן בנו עד סוף כל הדורות אלא אימא כלת בתו

Pentateuchal, it being written in the Scriptures, Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter-in-law?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XVIII, 15; why then did Rab include her among those of the second degree? ');">¹</span> — Read, 'the daughter-in-law of his son'. But is there any limitation<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra p. 125, n. 6. ');">²</span> for the daughter-in-law of one's son? Surely it was taught: His daughter-in-law is a forbidden relative, and the daughter-in-law of his son is a forbidden relative of the second degree; and the same principle is to be applied to one's son and son's son to the end of all generations!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ker. 14b. ');">³</span>

דאמר רב חסדא הא מילתא מגברא רבה שמיע לי ומנו רבי אמי לא אסרו כלה אלא מפני כלה ואמרו לי כלדאי מלפנא הוית

— But read, 'the daughter-in-law of his daughter' for R. Hisda said: I heard from a great man-And who is he? R Ammi- [the following statement]: 'The daughter-in.law was forbidden only on account of the daughter-in-law'; and when the soothsayers<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] lit., 'Chaldeans', known for their extensive practice of divination and soothsaying. ');">⁴</span> told me, 'You will be a teacher', I thought, 'If I would be a great man<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., if 'teacher' implied a teacher of scholars at the academy. ');">⁵</span> I would explain it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Ammi's vague statement. ');">⁶</span>

אמינא אי גברא רבה הוינא אסברא מדעתי אי מקרי דרדקי הוינא אשיילה מרבנן דאתו לבי כנישתא השתא סברתה מדעתי לא אסרו כלת בתו אלא משום כלת בנו

on my own; and should I be a Scripture teacher of little children I would ask the Rabbis who come to the school house.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Lit., 'House of Assembly', the synagogue to which was attached the school for children.] ');">⁷</span> Now I am in a position to explain it on my own: The daughter-in-law of one's daughter was forbidden only on account of the daughter-in-law of one's son. Said Abaye to Raba: I can explain it to you: Take as an example a daughter-in-law of the house of Bar Zithai.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In that family there were both a daughter-in-law of Bar Zithai's son and a daughter-in-law of his daughter, and permission to marry the latter might easily have led to the erroneous conclusion that the former also was permitted. ');">⁸</span>

אמר ליה אביי לרבא אסברה לך כגון כלתה דבי בר ציתאי רב פפא אמר כגון כלתה דבי רב פפא בר אבא רב אשי אמר כגון כלתה דבי מרי בר איסק:

R. Papa said: As for example a daughter-in-law in the house of R. Papa b. Abba.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. n. 7' mutatis mutandis. ');">⁹</span> R. Ashi said: As for example a daughter-in-law of the house of Mari b.Isak.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. n. 7' mutatis mutandis. ');">⁹</span> An inquiry was made: What [is the law in respect of] the wife of a mother's maternal brother? Did the Rabbis forbid as a preventive measure only the wife. of a father's maternal brother and the wife of a mother's paternal brother because in these cases there is a paternal strain,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'side of father'. ');">¹⁰</span>

איבעיא להו אשת אחי האם מן האם מהו אשת אחי האב מן האם ואשת אחי האם מן האב דאיכא צד אב הוא דגזרו רבנן אבל היכא דליכא צד אב לא גזרו בהו רבנן או דלמא ל"ש

but where there is no paternal strain<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As in the case of the wife of a mother's maternal brother, here under discussion. ');">¹¹</span> the Rabbis did not pass any preventive measure, or is there no difference? R. Safra replied: She herself<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The wife of a mother's paternal brother. ');">¹²</span> is forbidden as a preventive measure; shall we come and superimpose a preventive measure upon a preventive measure! Said Raba: Are not others<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'all of them'. v. Rashi, a.l. ');">¹³</span>

אמר רב ספרא היא גופה גזירה ואנן ניקום ונגזור גזירה לגזירה אמר רבא אטו כולהו לאו גזירה לגזירה נינהו אמו ערוה אם אמו שניה וגזרו על אם אביו משום אם אמו וטעמא מאי כולהו דבי אימא רבתי קרו ליה

forbidden as a preventive measure to a preventive measure? His mother, e.g., Is a forbidden relative, his mother's mother is a forbidden relative of the second degree, and yet was his father's mother forbidden as a preventive measure against his mother's mother<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'all of them'. v. Rashi, a.l. ');">¹³</span> And what is the reason? Because they are both called 'grandmother'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'all of them call her of the house of grandmother'. Hence the necessity for a preventive measure. ');">¹⁴</span> His father's wife is a forbidden relative, his father's father's wife is a forbidden relative of the second degree, and yet was his mother's father's wife forbidden as a preventive measure against his father's father's wife! And what is the reason? Because they are both called 'grandfather'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. previous note mutatis mutandis. All of which shews that we do superimpose a Preventive measure upon a preventive measure. ');">¹⁵</span>

אשת אביו ערוה אשת אבי אביו שניה וגזרו על אשת אבי אמו משום אשת אבי אביו וטעמא מאי כולהו דבי אבא רבה קרו ליה

The wife of his father's paternal brother is a forbidden relative, the wife of his father's maternal brother is a forbidden relative of the second degree, and yet was the wife of his mother's paternal brother forbidden as a preventive against the wife of his father's maternal brother! And what is the reason? Because they are both called uncle!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. previous note mutatis mutandis. All of which shews that we do superimpose a Preventive measure upon a preventive measure. ');">¹⁵</span> What, then, is the law?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' With respect to the wife of a mother's maternal brother. ');">¹⁶</span> Come and hear: When R. Judah b. Shila came<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From Palestine to Babylon. ');">¹⁷</span>

אשת אחי האב מן האב ערוה אשת אחי האב מן האם שניה וגזרו על אשת אחי האם מן האב משום אשת אחי האב מן האם וטעמא מאי משום דכולהו דבי דודי קרי להו

he stated that In the West<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Palestine. ');">¹⁸</span> the rule was laid down<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'they said'. ');">¹⁹</span> that whenever a female<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In any degree of relationship. ');">²⁰</span>

מאי תא שמע דכי אתא רב יהודה בר שילא אמר אמרי במערבא כל שבנקבה ערוה בזכר גזרו על אשתו משום שניה

is a forbidden relative the wife of the male<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the same degree of relationship as the female. ');">²¹</span> is forbidden in the second degree as a preventive measure; and Raba remarked: 'Is this a general rule? Surely one's mother-in-law is a forbidden relative and yet is one's father-in-law's wife permitted, the daughter of his mother-in-law is a forbidden relative and yet is the wife of the son of his mother-in-law permitted, his step-daughter is a forbidden relative and yet is the wife of his step-son permitted, the daughter of his step-daughter is a forbidden relative and yet is the wife of the son of his step-son permitted'; what, then, does R. Judah b. Shila's [reported rule] include? Does it not then include the case of the wife of a mother's maternal brother, since 'wherever a female<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In any degree of relationship. ');">²²</span> as a forbidden relative<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Such as a mother's maternal sister. ');">²³</span>

ואמר רבא וכללא הוא חמותו ערוה אשת חמיו מותרת בת חמותו ערוה אשת בן חמותו מותרת בת חמיו ערוה אשת בן חמיו מותרת חורגתו ערוה אשת חורגו מותרת בת חורגתו ערוה אשת בן חורגו מותרת

the wife of the male<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the same degree of relationship as the female. ');">²⁴</span> is forbidden in the second degree as a preventive measure'!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence the wife of a mother's maternal brother must be forbidden as a relative in the second degree. ');">²⁵</span> What is the difference between those<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The cases pointed out by Raba. ');">²⁶</span>

והא דרב יהודה בר שילא לאיתויי מאי לאו לאיתויי אשת אחי האם מן האם דכל שבנקבה ערוה בזכר גזרו אשתו משום שניה

and this?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The wife of a mother's maternal brother. v. n. 4. ');">²⁷</span> — In this case<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The wife of a mother's maternal brother. v. n. 4. ');">²⁷</span> she becomes related to him by one act of betrothal;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The betrothal of the woman by his mother's maternal brother. ');">²⁸</span>

מאי שנא הני ומאי שנא הא הא בחד קידושין מקרב לה הני עד דאיכא תרי קידושין לא מקרב להו

in those cases<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Pointed out by Raba. ');">²⁹</span> they do not become related to him until two acts of betrothal have taken place.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the case of the wife of his father-in-law, for instance, her relationship to him is dependent on (a) his betrothal of his own wife whereby her father becomes his father-in-law, and (b) the betrothal by his father-in-law of his wife; and similarly in all the other cases pointed out by Raba. ');">³⁰</span> R. Mesharsheya of Tusaneya<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Prob. for Astunia near Pumbeditha (Obermeyer p. 229. n' 1.); cf. Keth., Sonc. ed. p. 715, n. 4. ');">³¹</span>

שלח ליה רב משרשיא מתוסנייא לרב פפי ילמדנו רבינו אשת אחי אבי האב ואחות אבי האב מהו מדלמטה ערוה למעלה נמי גזרו ביה או דלמא הא איתפליג דרתא

sent to R. Papi: Will our Master instruct us as to what is the law concerning the wife of the father's father's [paternal]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Rashi a.l. ');">³²</span> brother, and a father's father's sister?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Paternal or maternal. ');">³³</span> Seeing that the degree below is incest,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The wife of a father's paternal brother, and a father's paternal or maternal sister. ');">³⁴</span>

ת"ש מה הן שניות ולא קחשיב להו בהדייהו

has a preventive measure been issued in respect also of the degree above,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The cases cited in the inquiry, which are a generation higher. ');">³⁵</span> or perhaps [not]. since the relationship has branched off?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'divided' or 'removed'. ');">³⁶</span> Come and hear: Who are the forbidden relatives of the second degree [etc.];<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra 21a. ');">³⁷</span>

תנא ושייר מאי שייר דהאי שייר שייר שניות דבי רבי חייא

and these<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The cases cited in the inquiry, which are a generation higher. ');">³⁵</span> were not enumerated among them!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which seems to prove that these were not forbidden. ');">³⁸</span> — Some might have been mentioned and others omitted.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'he taught and left over'; though the others might be equally forbidden. ');">³⁹</span>

אמימר אכשר באשת אחי אבי אביו ובאחות אבי אביו א"ל רב הלל לרב אשי לדידי חזיא לי שניות מר בריה דרבנא וכתיבן שיתסרי לאיסורא מאי לאו תמני דמתניתא ושית דבי רבי חייא והנך תרתי הא שיתסרי

What other omissions were made such as to justify this omission also? — The forbidden relatives of the second degree, of the School of R. Hiyya,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Infra 22a. ');">⁴⁰</span> were also omitted. Amemar permitted the wife of one's father's father's brother and one's father's father's sister. Said R. Hillel to R. Ashi:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Who held the same opinion as Amemar. V. Tosaf. a.l. s.v. [H]. ');">⁴¹</span>

ולטעמיך שיבסרי הויין דהא איכא אשת אחי האם מן האם דפשטינן לאיסורא הא לא קשיא

'I saw the [list of] forbidden relatives of the second degree of Mar the son of Rabana<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Or Rabina. ');">⁴²</span> and sixteen were written down as forbidden cases. Would they not be the eight of the Baraitha,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra 21a. ');">⁴³</span> the six of the School of R. Hiyya,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Infra 22a. ');">⁴⁴</span> and these two,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Those of Amemar, agreed to by R. Ashi. V. supra p. 128. n. 20. ');">⁴⁵</span> in all sixteen? — But according to your view there should be seventeen, since there is also the case of the wife of a mother's maternal brother, who in accordance with our decision is forbidden!' — 'This is no difficulty.