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Yevamos 101b

יבמות ק״א ע״ב

Yevamot 101b

Learn Yevamos 101b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The judges of חליצה: where each opinion learns its rules from the פסוקים, why the הלכה is three judges, and practical details of the court

Overview

The גמרא finishes its proof that רבי יהודה lets ordinary people judge a חליצה. Then, with the repeated question ״ואידך״, it shows how each side uses the words ״לעיני״, ״בישראל״ (written twice) and ״ונקרא״. These words teach that the judges must see the spit, that the judges must be born Jews and not גרים, and that everyone present calls out ״חלוץ הנעל״. The גמרא asks why the plural verbs ״וקראו״ and ״ודברו״ do not add more judges. It answers that they teach that the judges call the man themselves and give him honest advice. רב נחמן rules that חליצה needs three judges. After a long back-and-forth about unnamed משניות and מיאון, the גמרא proves from a משנה in סנהדרין that רבי יהודה took back his view that five are needed. רבא adds that the court needs a fixed place, and stories show that some courts used five only to make the חליצה public. A convert, רב שמואל בר יהודה, honestly refuses to sit on such a court, and רב יהודה praises his trustworthiness. The amud ends as a new statement of רבא begins.

Opening lines

שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״כֻּלָּךְ יָפָה רַעְיָתִי

As it is stated: "You are entirely beautiful, my love,

וּמוּם אֵין בָּךְ״.

and there is no blemish in you."

וְאִידַּךְ: הַהוּא ״לְעֵינֵי״

And the other one: that word "before the eyes of"

מַאי עָבֵיד לֵיהּ?

what does he do with it?

The steps (38)

  1. ProofA proof verse that a court must be free of blemishes
  2. QuestionHow does the other opinion use the word "before the eyes"?
  3. Response"Before the eyes" teaches רבא's rule about seeing the spit
  4. ChallengeBut רבי יהודה should also need it for רבא's rule
  5. Resolutionרבי יהודה learns that ordinary people may judge from "in Israel"
  6. QuestionHow does the other opinion use "in Israel"?
  7. Response"In Israel" means a court of born Jews, not converts
  8. QuestionWhere does רבי יהודה learn the rule about converts?
  9. ResponseAnother "in Israel" is written
  10. QuestionHow does the other opinion use the second "in Israel"?
  11. ResponseEveryone present calls out "the one whose shoe was removed"
  12. ResponseWhere רבי יהודה learns that everyone calls out
  13. ChallengeOther plural words should add even more judges
  14. ResolutionThose words teach other lessons
  15. Statementרב נחמן rules that חליצה needs three judges
  16. Challengeרבא: then מיאון should also need three
  17. ChallengeProof that רב נחמן does not require three for מיאון
  18. Resolutionמיאון has one unnamed משנה, חליצה has two
  19. Challengeמיאון also has two unnamed משניות
  20. ResolutionRevised count: two for מיאון, three for חליצה
  21. ChallengeWhy should the number of unnamed משניות matter?
  22. Resolutionרב נחמן בר יצחק begins a new answer
  23. ProofThe משנה where the unnamed rule about חליצה sits
  24. Conclusionרבי יהודה changed his mind about חליצה
  25. Statementרבא: the judges must set a fixed place
  26. StatementA חליצה done with five judges
  27. ChallengeWhy use five if רבי יהודה changed his mind?
  28. ResolutionFive judges only to make it public
  29. Statementרב כהנא invites רב אשי to be the fifth
  30. Statementרב כהנא's memory of רב יהודה
  31. QuestionWhy do we need five?
  32. Responseרב יהודה: so the matter becomes known
  33. Statementרב יהודה invites רב שמואל בר יהודה
  34. RejectionA convert may not sit on a חליצה court
  35. Statementרב יהודה would trust רב שמואל בר יהודה even with money
  36. ChallengeThe Torah requires two witnesses to take money
  37. ResolutionHe meant he would weaken a loan document
  38. Statementרבא begins a new statement