Talmud - Yevamot 43b יבמות מ״ג ב׳

The Gemara asks: But does Rabbi Yosei not accept that there is a decree to wait three months in order to distinguish between the seed of the first and second husbands? According to the Gemara’s emendation of his statement, it would appear there is no case in which Rabbi Yosei applies the decree.

The Gemara answers: Indeed, he does not accept the decree. And if you wish, say that actually, he does accept the decree and applies it in the case of a married woman who was divorced. And with regard to the challenge to his opinion from the a fortiori inference, emend the mishna and say: Rabbi Yosei says that all women who were only betrothed to their previous husbands and then divorced may be married within three months, since the reason to wait does not apply in this case.

The Gemara asks: If so, then this opinion of Rabbi Yosei is identical to the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda. What difference is there between them? The Gemara answers: There is a practical difference between them in the case of a woman who was married to her previous husband and seeks to be betrothed. Rabbi Yehuda holds that it is permitted to betroth a woman who was married to her previous husband without first waiting three months. And Rabbi Yosei holds that it is prohibited to betroth a woman who was married to her previous husband without first waiting three months.

The Gemara asks: But does Rabbi Yosei really hold that it is prohibited to betroth a woman who was married to her previous husband without first waiting three months? Isn’t it taught in a baraita: Rabbi Yosei says that all women may be betrothed without waiting except for a widow, due to the mourning period she must observe for her deceased husband; and how long is her mourning period? It is thirty days. And none of them may be married until they have waited three months.

The Gemara clarifies the question: What difficulty does this baraita pose? If we say that the baraita teaches: Rabbi Yosei says that all women may be betrothed without waiting, is the baraita stronger than the mishna that was established as teaching that women who were only betrothed to their previous husbands and then divorced may be married within three months? Here, too, the baraita could be established as teaching that all women who were only betrothed to their previous husbands and then divorced may be married within three months.

Rather, the difficulty arises from the latter clause that teaches: And none of them may marry until they have waited three months. This implies that Rabbi Yosei holds that it is specifically marrying that is not permitted, but betrothing seems well and is permitted. This challenges the Gemara’s original claim that Rabbi Yosei disagrees with Rabbi Yehuda on this point.

Rava said: Resolve the difficulty and emend Rabbi Yosei’s statement to say this: Rabbi Yosei says that all women who were only betrothed to their previous husbands and then divorced may marry within three months except for a widow, due to the mourning period she must observe for her deceased husband. And how long is her mourning period? It is thirty days. And women who were married to their previous husbands may not be betrothed until they have waited three months.

The Gemara asks: But does a woman who became a widow from betrothal have to observe a mourning period for her husband? Didn’t Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Ami teach in a baraita: If one’s wife to whom he was betrothed died, he does not observe a period of acute mourning for her, and if he is a priest he is not permitted to become ritually impure for her. And similarly, if he dies, she does not observe a period of acute mourning for him and she does not become ritually impure for him. If she dies, he does not inherit from her. If he dies, she collects payment of her marriage contract. The baraita demonstrates that a widow is required to mourn her husband only if she was married to him and not merely betrothed. If so, clearly Rabbi Yosei’s ruling in the mishna is referring to married women. Accordingly, all of the Gemara’s emendations of Rabbi Yosei’s statement, in order to defend his statement from Rav Ḥisda’s a fortiori inference, are refuted.

Rather, it must be that the question of whether it is permitted to betroth a woman during the period prior to the week of the Ninth of Av is subject to a dispute between tanna’im. As it is taught in a baraita: From the New Moon of Av and until the fast on the ninth, the public reduces its activities, refraining from business transactions, from building and planting, and from betrothing and marrying. During the week in which the Ninth of Av occurs, it is prohibited to cut hair and to launder clothes, and it is prohibited to be betrothed. And some say: It is prohibited for the entire month. The Gemara’s challenge to Rabbi Yosei’s opinion that it is prohibited for a widow to be betrothed during her mourning period was based on an a fortiori inference that assumes that it is permitted to be betrothed during the mourning period preceding the week of the Ninth of Av. However, since this ruling is subject to a dispute, Rabbi Yosei could reject the a fortiori inference by stating that he holds in accordance with the opinion that it is in fact prohibited to be betrothed during that period.

Rav Ashi strongly objects to this: From where is it known that when the baraita prohibits one to be betrothed, it is referring to actually betrothing? Perhaps it is only to make a betrothal feast that is prohibited, but merely to be betrothed seems well and is permitted.

The Gemara questions Rav Ashi’s objection: If so, then with regard to the prohibition against marrying as well one could make the same claim: With regard to the prohibition to marry, too, it is only to make a marriage feast that is prohibited, but merely to marry seems well and is permitted. The Gemara rejects its question: How can these cases be compared? Granted, from a marriage, even without a feast, there is joy, but from a betrothal without a feast, is there any joy? It is merely a legal ceremony.

Rather, Rav Ashi stated a different resolution of Rav Yosei’s opinion: New mourning, i.e., the mourning for a relative who has just passed away, is different from old mourning, i.e., the mourning over historic events such as the destruction of the Temple, and it is appropriate to be more lenient in the latter. And the mourning of the public is different from the private mourning of the individual, and it is appropriate to be more stringent in the latter. As such, it is not possible to form an a fortiori inference from the halakhot of mourning for the Temple to those of a wife mourning for her husband.

MISHNA: In a case of four brothers married to four women and some of the brothers died childless, their wives thereby become yevamot. If the eldest of the brothers who survived wished to consummate the levirate marriage with all of his yevamot, he has permission to do so.

In the case of one who was married to two women and died childless, the intercourse or ḥalitza of either one of the wives with the yavam releases her rival wife from the levirate bond, and the rival wife need not enter into levirate marriage or perform ḥalitza.

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

Yevamot 43b explores Rabbi Yosei's stance on the three-month waiting period before remarriage, debating its purpose and how it applies to betrothal versus marriage.