Yevamot 43

הנך תרתי דדמיין להדדי כחדא חשיב להו והא שיתסרי והא מכל מקום לדידי חזיין לן דכתיבן לאיסורא אמר ליה וליטעמיך אי הוה כתיב להיתירא מי הוות סמכת עלייהו דמר בריה דרבנא מי חתים עלייהו השתא נמי דכתיב לאיסורא לאו מר בריה דרבנא חתים עלייהו

Those two which resemble one another<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Amemar's cases, both of whom are related to one through one's father (paternal grandfather's brother's wife, and paternal grandfather's sister) and both are one degree above that of actual incest. ');">¹</span> are reckoned as one, and thus [the total is] sixteen.' 'But, after all, I saw that these were written down as forbidden!'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' While according to Amemar and R. Ashi (v. supra p. 128, n. 20) these are permitted! [The text is difficult. Read with MS.M.: But after all I saw (the list) and sixteen were written down as forbidden.] ');">²</span> The other said to him: 'Granted that this is so, would you have relied upon that list, if the cases had been written down as permitted? "Has Mar the son of Rabana signed them?" [you would have argued]. Now then that they have been written down as forbidden, [you might also argue]. "Mar the son of Rabana has not signed them".

תני דבי רבי חייא שלישי שבבנו ושבבתו ושבבן אשתו ושבבת אשתו שניה רביעי שבחמיו ושבחמותו שניה

It was taught at the School of R. Hiyya: The third generation of his son,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., his son's son's daughter, his son's daughter being forbidden as actual incest, v. Lev. XVIII, 10. ');">³</span> of his daughter.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' His daughter's son's daughter; his daughter's daughter coming under the prohibition of actual incest. Cf. n. 7. ');">⁴</span> of the son of his wife<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. note 7, mutatis mutandis. ');">⁵</span>

א"ל רבינא לרב אשי מאי שנא למעלה דקחשיב לה לאשתו ומאי שנא למטה דלא קחשיב לה לאשתו למעלה דאיסורא מכח אשתו קא אתי חשיב לה למטה דאיסורא לאו מכח אשתו קאתי לא קחשיב לה

or of the daughter of his wife<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. note 8, mutatis mutandis. ');">⁶</span> [is forbidden as incest of the] second degree; the fourth generation<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From his wife. ');">⁷</span> through his father-in-law<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' His father-in-law's mother's mother who Is the fourth generation from his wife. (A father-in-law's mother comes under the prohibition of actual incest). ');">⁸</span>

והא בן אשתו ובת אשתו דאיסורא מכח אשתו קאתי ולא חשיב לה איידי דתנא שלשה דורות למטה דידיה ולא חשבה תנא נמי ג' דורות למטה דידה ולא חשבה

or his mother-in-law<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' His mother-in-law's mother's mother. Cf. previous note. ');">⁹</span> [is forbidden as incest of the] second degree. Said Rabina to R. Ashi: Why is the wife included in the ascending line<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. previous three notes. ');">¹⁰</span>

א"ל רב אשי לרב כהנא שניות דבי רבי חייא יש להן הפסק או אין להם הפסק

and not included in the descending line?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Regarding, for instance, his son's son's daughter as of the third generation and not of the fourth, as would have been the case had his wife (his son's mother) been included. ');">¹¹</span> -In the case of the ascending line, where the prohibition is due to his wife, she is included; in the descending line, where the prohibition is not due to his wife,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since, as has been explained supra 40, Lev. XVIII, 10 refers to a son born from a woman whom he had outraged. ');">¹²</span> she is not included. But, surely, there is the case of the son of his wife and the daughter of his wife whose prohibition is due to his wife who is, nevertheless, not included! — As he enumerated three generations in the descending line on his side<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The third generation of his son or daughter born from a woman he had outraged. ');">¹³</span>

ת"ש דאמר רב ד' נשים יש להם הפסק ותו לא דלמא כי קאמר רב לההיא מתניתא ת"ש שלישי ורביעי שלישי ורביעי אין טפי לא דלמא משלישי ואילך מרביעי ואילך

and did not include her, he also enumerated three generations in the descending line on her side<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The third generation of the son or daughter of his wife. ');">¹⁴</span> and did not include her. Said R. Ashi to R. Kahana: Are the second degrees of incest of the School of R. Hiyya subject to the limitation<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra P. 125, n. 6. ');">¹⁵</span>

אמר ליה רבא לרב נחמן חזי מר האי מרבנן דאתא ממערבא ואמר בעו במערבא גזרו שניות בגרים או לא גזרו שניות בגרים

or not? Come and hear what Rab said: 'Four [categories of forbidden] women are subject to a limitation',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra 21a. ');">¹⁶</span> but no more. But is it not possible that Rab was only referring to that Baraitha!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which enumerated (supra 1.c.) eight cases only of the second degrees of incest, but none of those of the School of R. Hiyya. ');">¹⁷</span> Come and hear: 'The third' and 'the fourth',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the School of R. Hiyya supra included in the second degree only the third generation in the descending, and the fourth generation in the ascending line. ');">¹⁸</span>

אמר ליה השתא ומה ערוה גופה אי לאו שלא יאמרו באין מקדושה חמורה לקדושה קלה לא גזרו בהו רבנן שניות מיבעיא

which implies the third and fourth generations only but no further. But is it not possible [that this meant] from the third generation onwards<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Are forbidden in the second degree of incest; but those of the nearer generations are forbidden as actual incest. ');">¹⁹</span> and from the fourth generation onwards!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Are forbidden in the second degree of incest; but those of the nearer generations are forbidden as actual incest. ');">¹⁹</span> Raba said to R. Nahman, 'Has the Master seen the young scholar who came from the West<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Palestine. ');">²⁰</span>

אמר רב נחמן גרים הואיל ואתו לידן נימא בהו מלתא אחין מן האם לא יעידו ואם העידו עדותן עדות אחין מן האב מעידין לכתחלה אמימר אמר אפילו אחין מן האם נמי מעידין לכתחלה

and stated: The question was raised in the West whether the second degrees of incest were forbidden as a preventive measure among proselytes or not'? — The other replied: Seeing that even in respect of actual incest, but for the fear that they might be said to have exchanged a [religion of] stricter for [one of] more easy-going sanctity, the Rabbis would not have imposed upon them any preventive measures,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Biblically, the proselyte is regarded as a newborn child and all his previous family ties are severed. It is only Rabbinically that he was subjected to the laws of incest. ');">²¹</span> is there any question [that they should have done so in respect of] the second degrees? Said R. Nahman: As the subject of proselytes has come up,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'to our hand'. ');">²²</span>

ומ"ש מעריות ערוה לכל מסורה עדות לבית דין מסורה וגר שנתגייר כקטן שנולד דמי:

let us say something about them: Maternal brothers may not tender evidence;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the family relationship in their case is a certainty, and a relative is ineligible as a witness. ');">²³</span> if, however, they did, their evidence is valid.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As, Biblically, the proselyte is deemed to be a newborn child without any relatives. V. supra p. 130, n. 10. ');">²⁴</span> Paternal brothers may tender evidence without challenge.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'as from the start', since in: their case no brotherly relationship is recognized, the heathens having been known to indulge in promiscuous Intercourse. ');">²⁵</span>

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> מי שיש לו אח מכל מקום זוקק את אשת אחיו ליבום ואחיו הוא לכל דבר חוץ ממי שיש לו אח מן השפחה ומן העובדת כוכבים מי שיש לו בן מכל מקום פוטר אשת אביו מן היבום וחייב על מכתו ועל קללתו ובנו לכל דבר חוץ ממי שיש לו בן מן השפחה ומן העובדת כוכבים:

Amemar said: Even maternal brothers may tender evidence without challenge. And why is this case different from incest?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which is applicable to a proselyte also. If he married, for instance, his maternal sister he must divorce her (infra 98a). ');">²⁶</span> — Matters of incest lie in everybody's hands;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Marriages are not, as a rule, arranged with the aid of the Beth din, and, should a proselyte be permitted to live with his sister, some people might infer that such a marriage was permitted to an Israelite also. Hence the prohibition. ');">²⁷</span> evidence is entrusted to <i>Beth din</i>, and [they know that] one who has become a proselyte is like a child newly born.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Beth din who know this law would not allow a brother of an Israelite to give evidence though this would be allowed to a brother of a proselyte. ');">²⁸</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> מכל מקום לאתויי מאי אמר רב יהודה לאתויי ממזר פשיטא אחיו הוא מהו דתימא לילף אחוה אחוה מבני יעקב מה להלן כשרין ולא פסולין אף כאן כשרין ולא פסולין קמ"ל

<b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. IF ONE HAS ANY KIND OF BROTHER,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is explained in the Gemara. Lit., 'from any place'. ');">²⁹</span> [THAT BROTHER] IMPOSES UPON HIS BROTHER'S WIFE THE OBLIGATION OF THE LEVIRATE MARRIAGE AND IS DEEMED TO BE HIS BROTHER IN EVERY RESPECT. FROM THIS IS EXCLUDED A BROTHER BORN FROM A SLAVE OR A HEATHEN.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Such children assume their mother's status of inferiority, and are not regarded as one's paternal brothers. ');">³⁰</span> IF ONE HAS ANY KIND OF SON, [THAT SON] EXEMPTS HIS FATHER'S WIFE FROM THE LEVIRATE MARRIAGE, IS LIABLE TO PUNISHMENT FOR STRIKING OR CURSING [HIS FATHER]. AND IS DEEMED TO BE HIS SON IN EVERY RESPECT. FROM THIS IS EXCLUDED THE SON OF A SLAVE OR A HEATHEN.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. n. 9. ');">³¹</span>

ואימא הכי נמי כיון דלענין יבום מיפטר נפטר

<b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. What does the expression ANY KIND include? Rab Judah said: It includes a bastard. Is not this obvious? Surely, he is his brother! — It might have been assumed that 'brotherhood'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Brethren in the context of the levirate relationship, Deut. XXV, 5. ');">³²</span> here should be deduced from 'brotherhood' in the case of the sons of Jacob;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XLII, 13, twelve brethren. ');">³³</span> as there they were all legitimate and untainted, so here also [the brothers must be] legitimate and untainted; hence we were taught [that it is not so]. [Might we still suggest that it is so?] — Since he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A bastard. ');">³⁴</span> has at any rate the power to confer exemption from the levirate marriage<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A woman whose husband died without leaving any issue from their union may. nevertheless, be exempt from the requirements of the levirate marriage if that husband had a bastard son. ');">³⁵</span>