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Yevamos 107a

יבמות ק״ז ע״א

Yevamot 107a

Learn Yevamos 107a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The disputes of בית שמאי and בית הלל about מיאון, the גמרא's four explanations for why בית שמאי bar a married girl from refusing, and רבי אושעיא's rule on refusing a יבם's מאמר but not his זיקה.

Overview

This amud deals with מיאון. When a girl's father has died, the חכמים allowed her mother or brothers to marry her off while she is still a קטנה, and she may later refuse that marriage and end it. The משנה lists four disputes between בית שמאי and בית הלל: whether a נשואה can refuse, whether she can refuse a יבם, whether the husband must be present, and whether a בית דין is needed. In each one בית הלל is more lenient. The two schools then argue about whether she may refuse again and again, and בית שמאי say בנות ישראל are not הפקר. The גמרא gives four explanations for why בית שמאי do not let a married girl refuse. שמואל says people would think a marriage can have a תנאי. רבה and רב יוסף say a husband does not want his relations to turn into זנות. רב פפא says it is about the profits of her property. רבא says it is about the cost of the wedding feast. Each time, the גמרא also gives בית הלל's answer. Finally, רבי אושעיא rules that a girl can refuse a יבם's מאמר but not his זיקה. רב חסדא explains that she can undo what she agreed to but not what was forced on her, and the גמרא begins a challenge from ביאה, which can also happen against her will. That challenge continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים:

Beit Shammai say:

אֵין מְמָאֲנִין אֶלָּא אֲרוּסוֹת,

Only betrothed girls may refuse,

וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים:

and Beit Hillel say:

אֲרוּסוֹת וּנְשׂוּאוֹת.

both betrothed and fully married girls may refuse.

The steps (25)

  1. StatementWho may refuse: only betrothed girls, or married girls too?
  2. StatementRefusing the husband only, or also the יבם
  3. StatementMust the refusal happen in front of him?
  4. StatementMust the refusal happen in court?
  5. Statementבית הלל: she may refuse many times while still a minor
  6. Rejectionבית שמאי: Jewish girls are not ownerless property
  7. Statementשמואל's reason for בית שמאי: no conditions in marriage
  8. ChallengeChallenge: what about a girl who entered the חופה but had no relations?
  9. ResolutionAnswer: a חופה also cannot be conditional
  10. ChallengeChallenge: what about a girl handed to the husband's agents?
  11. ResolutionAnswer: the Rabbis made one rule for all marriages
  12. Statementבית הלל's view: everyone knows a קטנה's marriage is only rabbinic
  13. StatementA different reason for בית שמאי: a man won't make his relations into זנות
  14. ChallengeWhat about a girl who entered the חופה but had no relations?
  15. ResolutionHe does not want a forbidden חופה either
  16. ChallengeWhat about a father who handed her to the husband's messengers?
  17. ResolutionThe חכמים made one rule for every married girl
  18. StatementHow בית הלל answer this reason
  19. Statementרב פפא: בית שמאי worry the husband will use up her property
  20. Statementרב פפא: בית הלל say the husband will take better care of her property
  21. Statementרבא: the wedding feast and making the marriage known
  22. Statementרבי אושעיא: she can refuse the יבם's מאמר but not the זיקה
  23. Questionרב חסדא asks for רבי אושעיא's reason
  24. ResponseWhat she agreed to she can undo; what was forced on her she cannot
  25. ChallengeBut the יבם's ביאה can happen against her will