Yevamot 82

Chapter 82

א מפני האיבול:

1 OWING TO HER MOURNING.1 GEMARA. It is quite reasonable that she2

ב <big>גמ׳</big> בשלמא לא תתייבם שמא יהיה הולד בן קיימא וקא פגע באיסור אשת אח דאורייתא אלא לא תחלוץ אמאי

2 shall not be taken [forthwith] in levirate marriage, since the child [whom she might bear] may be viable,3 and the levir would thus infringe the prohibition of marrying a brother's wife, which is Pentateuchal; but why should she not [forthwith] perform the halizah?4

ג לימא תיהוי תיובתא דר"י דאמר חליצת מעוברת שמה חליצה ולאו מי אותביניה לר' יוחנן חדא זימנא לימא מהא נמי תיהוי תיובתא

3 Does this,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The implication that halizah is forbidden because it is possible that the woman will miscarry after the ceremony and, believing the halizah to have been valid, would remarry without performing the ceremony again while, in fact, the law is that the halizah of a pregnant woman is not valid. ');">5 then, present an objection against R. Johanan who said that the halizah of a pregnant woman is deemed to be a valid halizah?6

ד לא הכא היינו טעמא שמא יהא ולד בן קיימא ונמצאת אתה מצריכה כרוז לכהונה

4 But has not an objection against R. Johanan once been raised?7 — [The question is whether] it may be assumed that an objection arises from here also?8

ה ונצרכה דלמא איכא דהואי בחליצה ולא הוי בהכרזה ומפסלוה מן הכהונה

5 — No; here, the reason9 is this: The child might be viable;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And his birth would render the halizah invalid, and his mother would consequently be permitted to marry a priest whom, as a haluzah, she would not have been allowed to marry. ');">10

ו תינח אלמנה גרושה מאי איכא למימר משום דמפסיד לה מזונות

6 and you would in consequence subject her to the need for an announcement11 in respect of the priesthood.12

ז תינח נשואה ארוסה גרושה מאי איכא למימר

7 Well, let her be subjected!13 — It may happen that some people would be present at the halizah but would not be present at the announcement, and they would consider her ineligible to marry a priest.

ח אלא משום דרבי יוסי דתניא מעשה באדם אחד שבא לפני רבי יוסי א"ל מהו לחלוץ בתוך ג' א"ל לא תחלוץ ותחלוץ ומה בכך

8 This quite satisfactorily explains the case of a widow; what can be said, however, in respect of a divorced woman?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., who had been a divorcee prior to her marriage with the deceased brother. Having been divorced once, she is for ever ineligible to marry a priest, even though she were no haluzah. Why, then, should she be forbidden to perform the halizah forthwith? ');">14 — Because she would thereby15

ט קרא עליו מקרא זה (דברים כה, ז) אם לא יחפוץ הא אם חפץ יבם כל העולה לייבום עולה לחליצה כו'

9 lose her maintenance.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which she receives from her deceased husband's estate for a period of three months. This would cease with the performance of the halizah. [On this view the Mishnah does not state a prohibition but a piece of sound advice (Tosaf.)] ');">16 This provides a quite satisfactory explanation in the case of a married woman; what can be said, however, in respect of a betrothed divorcee?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A woman who has been betrothed whilst she was a divorcee and became a widow before the marriage took place. As a betrothed she is not entitled to maintenance from the dead man's estate, and as a divorcee she is not eligible to marry a priest. Why, then, should she not be allowed forthwith to perform the halizah? ');">17

י מתיב רב חיננא הספקות חולצות ולא מתיבמות

10 — The reason18 is rather the ruling of19

יא מאי ספקות אילימא ספק קדושין אמאי לא מתיבמות תתייבם ואין בכך כלום

11 R. Jose. For it was taught: A man once appeared before R. Jose and said to him; 'May halizah be performed within three months'? The master replied, 'She must not perform the halizah'. — 'Let her perform the halizah! What would she lose'?20 Thereupon he recited for him this Scriptural text: If the man like not,21

יב אלא לאו ספק שקידש אחת משתי אחיות ואינו יודע איזו מהן קידש וקתני חולצת

12 [implying] that if he likes he may contract the levirate marriage; whosoever may go up22 to contract the levirate marriage may also go up to perform the halizah etc.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'And whosoever may not go up to contract the levirate marriage may not go up to perform the halizah' (v. supra 20a, 36a, infra 44a). Since the widow may not contract levirate marriage within three months, she may not perform halizah either. This,' however, presents no objection to R. Johanan's ruling since, though it is improper to arrange a halizah within the three months, if halizah had actually taken place it is valid. ');">23

יג הכי השתא התם אם יבא אליהו ויאמר דהא קידש בת חליצה וייבום היא

13 R. Hinena raised an objection: In doubtful cases halizah is performed and no levirate marriage may be contracted. Now, what is meant by 'doubtful cases'? If it be assumed to mean doubtful betrothal;24 why, indeed, should no levirate marriage be contracted? Let the widow be taken in levirate marriage since no objection could possibly be raised!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'and there is nothing in it'. If the widow's betrothal by the deceased was valid, the levirate marriage is also valid; and if it was not valid, the so-called widow is in reality an unmarried woman and may be married as a stranger. ');">25

יד הכא אם יבא אליהו ויאמר דהא לא איעברה מי משגח ביה ויבמינן לה הא קטנה דלאו בת איעבורי היא ואפ"ה צריכה להמתין ג' חדשים

14 Consequently,26 the doubt must consist in the betrothal of two sisters when the man is uncertain which of them he betrothed;27

טו ת"ר יבמה שלשה חדשים הראשונים נזונת משל בעל מכאן ואילך אינה נזונת לא משל בעל ולא משל יבם

15 and yet it was stated that halizah was to be performed!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Though no levirate marriage may be contracted owing to the doubt in the case of each sister that she might be the 'sister of a zekukah'. How, then, could it be said that halizah may be performed only where levirate marriage also is possible? ');">28 — How now! There,29

טז עמד בדין וברח נזונת משל יבם

16 if Elijah were to come and point out the sister that was betrothed, she would be eligible for both halizah and levirate marriage;30 here,31

יז נפלה לפני יבם קטן (מאי) מיבם לית לה מבעל מאי

17 however, were Elijah to come and declare that the widow was not pregnant, would anyone heed him and allow her to contract the levirate marriage? Surely even a minor who is incapable of pregnancy must wait three months!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As levirate marriage is thus absolutely forbidden for the time being, the halizah also must be postponed until the time when levirate marriage would be permitted. [Where, however, the prohibition to contract levirate marriage is absolute, as, for example, in the case of a sister of a haluzah (supra 41a) halizah may be performed (Rashi).] ');">32 Our Rabbis taught: A yebamah33

יח פליגי בה רב אחא ורבינא חד אמר אית לה וחד אמר לית לה והלכתא לית לה משמיא קנסוה

18 is maintained during the first three months out of the estate of her husband. Subsequently34 she is not to be maintained either out of the estate of her husband or out of that of the levir. If, however, the levir appeared in court35

יט ת"ר יבמה שחלצו לה אחים בתוך שלשה צריכה להמתין שלשה חדשים

19 and then absconded, she is maintained out of the estate of the levir. If she became subject to a levir who was a minor she receives nothing from the levir. Does she, however, [receive her maintenance] from her husband's estate? — On this question, R. Aha and Rabina are in dispute. One holds that she receives and the other holds that she does not. And the law is that she receives nothing; for her penalty comes from heaven. Our Rabbis learned: A yebamah,36 with whom the brothers had participated in halizah within the three months, must wait three months.37

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