Yevamot 73

באורתא אמר רבא הכי ובצפרא הדר ביה א"ל שריתו יהא רעוא דתשתרו אף תרבא

Raba said so<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That halizah must be performed even where the husband is a priest (R. Mesharsheya's version). ');">¹</span> in the evening, but on the following morning he retracted.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Exempting the widow from halizah where a priest is involved (Rabina's version). ');">²</span> The other exclaimed, "So you have permitted;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Var. lec. 'permitted it'. ');">³</span>

הכא גבי מעוברת חבירו ומינקת חבירו הנשואה לכהן מאי מי עבוד רבנן תקנתא לכהן או לא

would that you permitted also abdominal fat!"4 Now, what is the law here in respect of the pregnant, or nursing wife of another man who was married to a priest? Did the Rabbis make any provision for a priest<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That temporary separation until the twenty. four months had elapsed shall suffice and that, unlike an Israelite, the priest shall not be required to give a divorce. If an Israelite gives a divorce in such circumstances he may remarry the woman after the lapse of the forbidden period. A priest, however, being forbidden to marry a divorced woman, would never again be allowed to remarry her once she had been divorced. ');">⁵</span> or not?' — The other<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Hoshaia. ');">⁶</span> replied:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To R. Ashi. ');">⁷</span>

אמר ליה הכי השתא בשלמא התם כיון דאיכא רבנן דפליגי עליה דרשב"ג דאמרי אע"ג דלא שהא ולד מעליא הוי גבי אשת כהן כיון דלא אפשר עבדינן כרבנן

What a comparison!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'thus now'. ');">⁸</span> [The distinction]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Between an Israelite and a priest. ');">⁹</span> is well justified there;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Where the child died within the first thirty days of his life and his mother was betrothed to a stranger. ');">¹⁰</span>

אבל הכא כמאן נעביד אי כר' מאיר הא אמר יוציא ולא יחזיר עולמית ואי כרבנן האמרי בגט

since the Rabbis differ from R. Simeon b. Gamaliel in maintaining that the child is deemed to be sound even though he did not live long enough,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The full thirty days. ');">¹¹</span> we may, in the case of a priest's wife, where no other course is open,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since a priest is forbidden to marry a divorced woman. ');">¹²</span> act in accordance with the view of the Rabbis.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In regarding the child as viable and thus exempting the mother from the levirate marriage and halizah. ');">¹³</span>

איתמר קדשה בתוך שלשה וברח פליגי בה רב אחא ורפרם חד אמר משמתינן ליה וחד אמר עירוקיה מסתייה הוה עובדא ואמר להו רפרם עירוקיה מסתייה:

Here,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Where the levir married his sister-in-law while she was an expectant, or nursing mother. ');">¹⁴</span> however, in accordance with whose view could we act? If in accordance with that of R. Meir, he surely stated that he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The levir. ');">¹⁵</span> must put her out and never remarry her! And if in accordance with the view of the Rabbis, they, surely, stated [that she must be sent away] by means of a letter of divorce!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra 36b and cf. p. 229, nn. 16 and 17. ');">¹⁶</span>

ספק בן תשע וכו': אמר ליה רבא לרב נחמן לימא הלך אחר רוב נשים ורוב נשים לתשעה ילדן

It was stated: [The case of the man who] betrothed a woman<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' An expectant, or nursing mother who was a widow or divorcee. ');">¹⁷</span> within the three [months]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' After she became a widow or divorcee. ');">¹⁸</span> and fled, is one concerning which R. Aha and Rafram are at variance. One holds that the man is to be placed under the ban,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Until he consents to divorce the woman. ');">¹⁹</span>

אמר ליה נשי דידן לשבעה ילדן א"ל נשי דידכו הוו רובא דעלמא

but the other holds that his flight is sufficient.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He need not be compelled to give her a divorce, and no penalty need be imposed upon him, since his flight may be taken as an indication that it was not his intention to live with her before the lapse of a period of twenty-four months after the birth of a child. ');">²⁰</span> Such an incident once happened, and Rafram ruled,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'said to them'. ');">²¹</span> 'His flight is sufficient'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He need not be compelled to give her a divorce, and no penalty need be imposed upon him, since his flight may be taken as an indication that it was not his intention to live with her before the lapse of a period of twenty-four months after the birth of a child. ');">²⁰</span>

א"ל הכי קאמינא רוב נשים ילדן לתשעה ומיעוט לשבעה וכל היולדת לתשעה עוברה ניכר לשליש ימיה וזו הואיל ולא הוכר עוברה לשליש ימיה איתרע ליה רובא

IF IT IS DOUBTFUL WHETHER IT IS A NINE-MONTHS CHILD etc. Said Raba to R. Nahman. Let the ruling be that one is to go by the majority of women, and the majority of women bear at nine months!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The child would consequently be deemed to be the son of the first husband, and the marriage of his mother with the levir would be a forbidden union. The levir who thus married unlawfully his brother's wife should bring a sin-offering and not, as stated in our Mishnah, an asham talui. ');">²²</span> — The other replied: Our women bear at seven months. 'Are your women', the first retorted, 'the majority of the world'! — 'What I mean', the other replied, 'is this: Most women bear at nine months and a minority at seven, and the embryo in the case of every woman who bears at nine is recognizable after a third of the period of her pregnancy;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'her days'. ');">²³</span> and in the case of this woman, since her embryo was not recognized after a third of the period of her pregnancy<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'her days'. ');">²³</span>

אי כל היולדת לתשעה עוברה ניכר לשליש ימיה הא מדלא הוכר לשליש ימיה עוברה ודאי בר שבעה לבתראה הוא אלא אימא רוב היולדת לתשעה עוברה ניכר לשליש ימיה והאי מדלא הוכר לשליש ימיה איתרע ליה רובא

[her presumption to belong to] the majority is impaired'. If in the case of every woman, however, who bears at nine the embryo is recognizable after a third of the period of her pregnancy. it is obvious that with this [woman], since her embryo had not been recognized after a third of the period of her pregnancy, it must be a seven-months child of the second<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'last'. ');">²⁴</span> husband! — But say rather: When a woman bears at nine months, her embryo in most cases is recognizable after a third of her pregnancy. and with this woman, since her embryo was not recognized after a third of the period of her pregnancy, [her presumption to belong to] the majority is impaired.

ת"ר ראשון ראוי להיות כהן גדול ושני ממזר מספק רבי אליעזר בן יעקב אומר אין ממזר מספק

Our Rabbis taught: The first [child]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Born from the levirate marriage, and in respect of whom it is doubtful whether he is a nine-months child of the deceased or a seven-months one of the levir. ');">²⁵</span> is fit to be a High priest,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' His legitimacy is beyond all doubt. If he is the son of the deceased brother he is legitimate, though the subsequent levirate marriage is a forbidden one; and if be is the son of the levir, the levirate marriage itself is a lawful union. ');">²⁶</span> and the second<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Any child after the first, born from the levirate marriage. ');">²⁷</span>

מאי קאמר אמר אביי הכי קאמר ראשון ראוי להיות כהן גדול ושני ספק ממזר ואסור בממזרת ר' אליעזר אומר אינו ספק ממזר אלא ודאי ממזר ומותר בממזרת

is deemed a bastard owing to his doubtful origin.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It being possible that the first child was the son of the deceased, and that the levirate marriage was consequently forbidden under the penalty of kareth. Children born from such a union are bastards. ');">²⁸</span> R. Eliezer b. Jacob said: He is not of doubtful bastardy.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cur. edd., 'There is no bastard on account of doubt'. ');">²⁹</span> What does he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Eliezer b. Jacob. ');">³⁰</span>

רבא אמר הכי קאמר ראשון ראוי להיות כהן גדול ושני ממזר ודאי מספק ומותר בממזרת ורבי אליעזר בן יעקב אומר אין ודאי ממזר מספק אלא ספק ממזר ואסור בממזרת

mean?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Does he imply that one cannot be described as a bastard unless his illegitimacy is a certainty? ');">³¹</span> — Abaye replied: It is this that he meant, 'The first child<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Born from the levirate marriage, and in respect of whom it is doubtful whether he is a nine-months child of the deceased or a seven-months one of the levir. ');">²⁵</span> is fit to be a High priest<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' His legitimacy is beyond all doubt. If he is the son of the deceased brother he is legitimate, though the subsequent levirate marriage is a forbidden one; and if be is the son of the levir, the levirate marriage itself is a lawful union. ');">²⁶</span>

וקמיפלגי בדרבי אלעזר דתנן רבי אלעזר אומר ודאן בודאן מותר ודאן בספקן וספקן בודאן וספקן בספקן אסור

while the second<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Any child after the first, born from the levirate marriage. ');">²⁷</span> is one of doubtful bastardy<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cur. edd., 'There is no bastard on account of doubt'. ');">²⁹</span> and is consequently forbidden to marry a bastard.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since it is equally possible that he himself is not a bastard. ');">³²</span>

ואלו הן ספקן שתוקי ואסופי וכותי

R. Eliezer b. Jacob<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So BaH a.l. cur. edd. omit the last two words. ');">³³</span> said: He is not one of doubtful bastardy but an assured bastard, and is consequently permitted to marry a bastard'. Raba replied: It is this that was meant: 'The first<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra p, 232, n. 3. ');">³⁴</span> is fit to be a High priest<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. loc. cit. n. 4. ');">³⁵</span>

ואמר רב יהודה אמר רב הלכה כר' אלעזר כי אמריתה קמיה דשמואל אמר לי הלל שנה עשרה יוחסין עלו מבבל כהני לויי וישראלי חללי גירי חרורי ממזרי נתיני שתוקי ואסופי וכולן מותרין לבא זה בזה

and the second,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. loc. cit. n. 5. ');">³⁶</span> on account of his doubtful origin,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. loc. cit. n. 6. ');">³⁷</span> is deemed to be an assured bastard and is consequently permitted to marry a bastard; but R. Eliezer b. Jacob said: He cannot be deemed an assured bastard on account of his doubtful origin;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. loc. cit. n. 6. ');">³⁷</span>

ואת אמרת הלכה כרבי אלעזר

he is, however, regarded as one of doubtful bastardy and is consequently forbidden to marry a bastard.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since it is equally possible that he himself is not a bastard. ');">³⁸</span> And they<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Abaye and Raba in their differing explanations of the Baraitha cited. ');">³⁹</span> differ in [the interpretation of a ruling] of R. Eleazar. For we learned: 'R. Eleazar said, persons of confirmed illegitimacy may [intermarry] with others of confirmed illegitimacy, but those of confirmed illegitimacy may not intermarry with those of doubtful illegitimacy;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since it is possible that a person of doubtful legitimacy may in fact be legitimate, and by marrying one whose illegitimacy is established a bastard, contrary to Pentateuchal law, would be 'admitted into the congregation'. (V. Deut. XXIII, 3). ');">⁴⁰</span>

אביי סבר לה כשמואל דאמר הלכה כהלל ומוקי לה רבי אליעזר בן יעקב אליבא דהלכתא כי היכי דלא תקשי הלכתא אהלכתא

nor those of doubtful, with those of confirmed illegitimacy; nor those of doubtful, with others of doubtful illegitimacy. And the following are of doubtful legitimacy: The shethuki,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] (rt. [H] 'to be silent'), he who knows his mother but does not know who was his father (v. Kid. 6); who 'keeps silent' about his origin. ');">⁴¹</span> the asufi<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] (rt. [H] 'to gather') a child picked up in the street, and whose fatherhood and motherhood are unknown (v. Kid. l.c.); 'a foundling'. ');">⁴²</span> and the Samaritan.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Kid. 74a. In all these cases the legitimacy is doubtful: in the first two, because the father is unknown; and in the last, because the Samaritans did not observe all the laws of betrothal, and any Samaritan might be the issue of an illicit union between his father and a woman who had been legally betrothed to another man. ');">⁴³</span>

רבא סבר לה כרב דאמר הלכה כר' אלעזר ומוקי לה לדרבי אליעזר בן יעקב אליבא דהלכתא כי היכי דלא תקשי

And [in connection with this] Rab Judah stated in the name of Rab, 'The <i>halachah</i> is in accordance with the ruling of R. Eleazar, but when I stated this in the presence of Samuel<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' After Rab's death, where Rab Judah joined Samuel's academy for a short period. ');">⁴⁴</span> he said to me, "Hillel taught that the following ten different genealogical classes went up from Babylon:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To Judaea, in the days of Ezra. ');">⁴⁵</span> priests, Levites, Israelites, profaned priests,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Priests born from a forbidden union (cf. Lev. XXI, 7). ');">⁴⁶</span> proselytes, emancipated slaves, bastards, nethinim,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H], plur. of nathin, v. Glos. ');">⁴⁷</span> shetkuki<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] (rt. [H] 'to be silent'), he who knows his mother but does not know who was his father (v. Kid. 6); who 'keeps silent' about his origin. ');">⁴¹</span> and asufi,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] (rt. [H] 'to gather') a child picked up in the street, and whose fatherhood and motherhood are unknown (v. Kid. l.c.); 'a foundling'. ');">⁴²</span> and all these may inter marry",<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., each class may intermarry with at least one other class. ');">⁴⁸</span> and you state that the <i>halachah</i> is in accordance with the ruling of R. Eleazar'!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Kid. 75a. How, in view of Hillel's ruling (v. supra n. 1), could the halachah be said to be in agreement with the view of R. Eleazar according to whom certain classes, not being of confirmed illegitimacy, could never intermarry! ');">⁴⁹</span> Now Abaye upholds the opinion of Samuel who stated that the <i>halachah</i> is in agreement with the ruling of Hillel and consequently brings the ruling of R. Eliezer b. Jacob into harmony with the <i>halachah</i> so that there may be no contradiction between the one <i>halachah</i> and the other.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The halachah is always determined by the teachings of R. Eliezer h. Jacob whose information was well sifted and authoritative. (V. Git. 67a). ');">⁵⁰</span> Raba, on the other hand, upholds the opinion of Rab who stated that the <i>halachah</i> is in agreement with the ruling of R. Eleazar, and so he brings the ruling of R. Eliezer b. Jacob into harmony with the <i>halachah</i> in order that there may be no contradiction