Gemara Clarity

Yevamos 111a

יבמות קי״א ע״א

Yevamot 111a

Learn Yevamos 111a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Proving רב חסדא's reading of רב about a קטנה and a חרשת from a ברייתא that follows the רבנן, and the start of a new משנה about two orphaned minors

Overview

This amud continues the discussion of two orphaned sisters, a קטנה and a חרשת, married to two brothers. The גמרא shows that only רב חסדא's reading of רב works: the חרשת is partly married, and the קטנה's marriage is a 'maybe'. רב ששת supports this reading with a ברייתא. In that ברייתא, a חרשת who falls to her sister's husband is released by relations followed by a גט, and that only makes sense under רב חסדא's reading. The גמרא pushes back that the ברייתא might follow רבי נחמיה, who holds that a בִּיאָה פְּסוּלָה exempts from חליצה. But the last clause of the ברייתא requires a קטנה to do חליצה, which fits only the רבנן, so the proof stands. רב אשי tries to bring another proof from the first clause, but the גמרא pushes it off. The amud ends by opening a new משנה about a man married to two orphaned minor girls.

Opening lines

תִּיתֵּיב גַּבֵּיהּ מִמָּה נַפְשָׁךְ:

Let her stay with him, whichever way you look at it:

אִי קְנוּיָה הִיא — הָא קְנוּיָה הִיא,

If she is acquired, then she is acquired;

וְאִי לָאו קְנוּיָה הִיא —

and if she is not acquired,

הָא נׇכְרִית בְּעָלְמָא הִיא.

then she is merely an unrelated woman.

The steps (16)

  1. ChallengeEither way, she should be allowed to stay with him
  2. ChallengeThe same question seems to work against the minor
  3. ResolutionOtherwise, how would the deaf woman ever be released?
  4. Statementרב ששת agrees with רב חסדא's reading
  5. ProofA ברייתא with the same case and the same rulings
  6. ProofThe second case in the ברייתא: the deaf-mute's husband dies
  7. ProofWhy the ruling works under רב חסדא's reading
  8. ChallengeWhy the other reading cannot explain the ברייתא
  9. RejectionThe ברייתא may follow רבי נחמיה
  10. ChallengeQuoting the end of the ברייתא against the רבי נחמיה reading
  11. ProofWhy the ruling works under the רבנן
  12. ChallengeUnder רבי נחמיה the קטנה would not need חליצה
  13. ConclusionConclusion: the ברייתא follows the רבנן
  14. Proofרב אשי: the first clause also shows the ruling follows the רבנן
  15. RejectionThe silence about the minor proves nothing
  16. StatementNew משנה: a man married to two orphaned minor girls