Talmud - Yevamot 41a יבמות מ״א א׳

The Gemara explains: With regard to that woman, the relative of the ḥalutza, who often goes together with the ḥalutza to court, since she is present in the court during the ḥalitza, people might mistakenly assume that it was she who actually performed ḥalitza. Were the yavam permitted to marry her rival wife, people might incorrectly conclude that it is permitted to marry the rival wife of one’s ḥalutza. To preclude this possibility, the Sages decreed with regard to her that her rival wife should be forbidden. However, with regard to this woman, the rival wife of the ḥalutza, who does not go together with the ḥalutza to court, since she is never present in the court during the ḥalitza, there is no concern that people will mistake her for the ḥalutza herself. Consequently, the Sages did not see any reason to decree with regard to her that her relatives should be forbidden.

MISHNA: In the case of a yavam who performed ḥalitza with his yevama and then his brother married her sister and died, the sister performs ḥalitza with the yavam, but she may not enter into levirate marriage with him, since as a sister of his ḥalutza she is forbidden to him. And similarly, in the case of one who divorced his wife and his brother married her sister and died, then that woman is exempt both from ḥalitza and from consummating levirate marriage, since as the sister of his former wife she is forbidden to him.

In the case of a widow waiting for her yavam to consummate levirate marriage or perform ḥalitza with her, and the brother of the yavam betrothed her sister, they said in the name of Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira: They say to the brother: Wait and do not marry the woman you betrothed until your brother performs an act, either of ḥalitza or of consummating the levirate marriage, as until he does there remains a levirate bond between the yevama and each of the brothers, and it is prohibited to marry the sister of a woman to whom one is bound by a levirate bond.

If a brother of the one who betrothed the sister of the yevama performed ḥalitza with the yevama or consummated a levirate marriage with her, since by doing so the levirate bond between the yevama and the one who betrothed her sister is dissolved, he may then enter into marriage with his wife, who until that point was only betrothed to him, as she is no longer the sister of a woman to whom he is bound by a levirate bond. Similarly, if the yevama died, since his levirate bond to her is dissolved upon her death, he may proceed to enter into marriage with his betrothed wife. However, if the yavam died without performing an act that would have dissolved the levirate bond, he must divorce his wife with a bill of divorce, as she is forbidden to him as the sister of a woman to whom he is bound by a levirate bond, and his brother’s wife he must send out with ḥalitza, as she is forbidden to him as the sister of his divorcée.

GEMARA: The mishna considers two cases in which there is no possibility of consummating levirate marriage with a yevama. In the first case the reason is that she is the sister of one’s ḥalutza, and in the second it is that she is the sister of one’s divorcée. The mishna appears to compare the two cases by introducing the second case with: And similarly. The Gemara questions this: What is the meaning of: And similarly? The two cases are not similar; in the first case the yevama must perform ḥalitza, and in the second she is entirely exempt from the need to do anything. The Gemara answers: Emend the mishna and say: However, one who divorces.

The Gemara explains the reason for the difference between the two cases: Reish Lakish said: Here, through this mishna, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi taught that a sister of one’s divorcée is forbidden to him by Torah law, and that is why she is entirely exempt, whereas a sister of a ḥalutza is forbidden to him only by rabbinic law, and therefore, since there is still a levirate bond between her and the yavam, she requires ḥalitza to release her from it.

§ The mishna states that in the case of a widow waiting for her yavam where the brother of the yavam betrothed her sister, Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira said that the brother may not proceed to marry his betrothed. The Gemara cites a ruling on this matter: Shmuel said: The halakha is in accordance with the statement of Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira.

A dilemma was raised before the Sages: If a yavam is betrothed to the sister of his yevama, then since the yevama is his betrothed wife’s sister, it is forbidden for him to consummate a levirate marriage with her. However, if his betrothed wife died, what is the halakha with regard to his yevama; is he then permitted to consummate a levirate marriage with her? It is Rav and Rabbi Ḥanina who both say: If his wife died, he is permitted to consummate a levirate marriage with his yevama. Their opinion is disputed by Shmuel and Rav Asi, who both say: If his wife died, he is forbidden to his yevama.

Rava said: What is Rav’s reasoning? She is permitted due to the fact that she is a yevama who, when her husband died, was permitted to the yavam, and then when the yavam betrothed her sister she became forbidden to him as his wife’s sister, and then when his wife died the yevama reverted to her original status and was permitted to him. As such, she should also revert to her original permitted status with regard to levirate marriage and be permitted to consummate a levirate marriage with the yavam.

Rav Hamnuna raised an objection from that which was taught in a baraita: With regard to a case of three brothers, two of whom are married to two sisters and one of whom is a bachelor, if one of the sisters’ husbands died and the bachelor performed levirate betrothal with that sister, and afterward the second brother who was married to the other sister died, and so his wife also happened before the bachelor for levirate marriage, the bachelor is then bound to each of the sisters through a levirate bond. In such a case it is prohibited for the bachelor to consummate a levirate marriage with either one, as it is prohibited to marry the sister of a woman to whom one is bound through a levirate bond.

And if afterward the wife of the second brother died after him, i.e., after her husband had already died, which restored the original situation in which the bachelor was bound by a levirate bond only to the widow of the first brother, then in such a case that yevama, the widow of the first brother, performs ḥalitza but may not enter into levirate marriage.

Rav Hamnuna explains the challenge from the baraita: But why may she not consummate the levirate marriage? She should be like a yevama who was initially permitted to her yavam, and then became forbidden to him, and then reverted to her original status and was permitted, and so in this case she should also revert to her original permitted status with regard to levirate marriage and be permitted to consummate a levirate marriage with him. The fact that the baraita rules that she is prohibited from consummating the marriage demonstrates that she does not revert to her original permitted status.

Rava was silent, as he had no immediate answer. After Rav Hamnuna left the study hall, Rava said to himself: Why did you not say to him that the baraita does not pose a challenge because it is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Elazar, who said in a mishna (108b) with regard to the case of a man who divorced his wife, remarried her, and then died childless, that the yevama may not consummate levirate marriage with her yavam because once a yevama has stood before her yavam in a forbidden state, even for a single moment, she remains forbidden to him forever, and in that case, during the period she was divorced from her husband she was forbidden to her yavam? The Rabbis, however, disagree with his opinion, and the halakha is ruled in accordance with their opinion.

He then said to himself: It is not certain that the baraita is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Elazar because one could say that Rabbi Elazar said his opinion only where she was not suitable for the yavam, i.e., she was forbidden to him, already from the time of her happening before her yavam for levirate marriage at the moment of her husband’s death. However, where she was suitable for her yavam at the time of her happening before him and became forbidden to him only at some later point, as in the case of a yavam who betrothed the sister of his yevama, did he actually say that if the reason for the prohibition is removed then she does not return to her permissible state? If the baraita does not represent the opinion of Rabbi Elazar, then it must be unanimously agreed upon, and therefore it indeed poses a challenge.

He then said: Yes, actually, Rabbi Elazar did state his opinion even in such a case, and so it is taught in a baraita: With regard to a yavam who betrothed the sister of his yevama, Rabbi Elazar says: If his yevama dies, he is permitted to his wife. If his wife dies, that yevama performs ḥalitza but may not enter into levirate marriage with him. Therefore, the challenge from the baraita can be dismissed since it represents only Rabbi Elazar’s opinion.

The Gemara suggests: Shall we say that Shmuel and Rav Asi, who say that she may not consummate the levirate marriage, hold in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Elazar?

The Gemara rejects this: You can even say that they hold in accordance with the opinion of the Rabbis, as perhaps the Rabbis disagree with Rabbi Elazar in the case of a man who divorced and remarried his wife and then died childless only due to the fact that in that case, from the time of her happening for levirate marriage and onward she was not forbidden to them, i.e., her yevamin. The fact that the prohibition between her and her yevamin ended before she ever happened before them for levirate marriage means it has no bearing on her current eligibility for levirate marriage. However, here, in the case where the yavam betrothed the sister of his yevama, since she became forbidden after she had already happened before him for levirate marriage, even the Rabbis would agree that she remains permanently ineligible to consummate levirate marriage with him.

MISHNA: A yevama may neither perform ḥalitza nor enter into levirate marriage until she has waited three months from the time of her husband’s death. And similarly, all other women may not be betrothed and may not marry until they have waited three months since their previous marriage ended. This waiting period is necessary so that, should a woman give birth shortly after remarrying, it will be obvious who the father of the child is. This applies both to virgins and non-virgins, both to divorcées and widows, and both to women who were married to their previous husbands and women who were only betrothed. All of these women must wait three months before remarrying even though for some of them the reason for doing so does not apply.

Rabbi Yehuda says: The women who were married to their previous husbands may be betrothed, and the women who were only betrothed to their previous husbands may marry without waiting three months. This is true except for the betrothed women that are in the area of Judea, due to the fact that the groom is familiar with her. The custom in Judea was for the couple to be secluded together before the marriage so that they would become familiar with each other. This led to the possibility that they might cohabit even during their betrothal period. Rabbi Yehuda holds that one does not need to wait three months whenever the reason for doing so does not apply.

Rabbi Yosei says: All of the women may be betrothed within three months even if they were previously married, except for a widow,

Traduction : The William Davidson digital edition of the Koren Noé Talmud, with commentary by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz.

Yevamot 41a examines rabbinic decrees on relatives of a woman who underwent ḥalitza, then explores conflicting levirate marriage and ḥalitza obligations among brothers and sisters.