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Yevamos 118b

יבמות קי״ח ע״ב

Yevamot 118b

Learn Yevamos 118b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Doubtful betrothal and theft among five people, a woman's report of deaths overseas, and whether a גט counts as a benefit for her

Overview

The amud opens with a משנה about a man who betrothed one of five women, or stole from one of five people, and does not know which one. רבי טרפון says he may leave one payment for the group and walk away. רבי עקיבא says he must pay every one of them to be fully clear of sin. The גמרא notices that the משנה says קידש and גזל, and quotes a ברייתא in which רבי שמעון בן אלעזר places the argument in בעל and גזל instead. It answers that the משנה follows רבי שמעון בן אלעזר: 'betrothed' means betrothed through relations, and each word was chosen to show how far one opinion goes. A new משנה then discusses a woman who returns from overseas and reports the order of her husband's and son's deaths. She is believed when her story keeps the status she left with. Otherwise we still take her words into account, so she does חליצה and not יבום. The גמרא asks whether a גט received for a woman counts as a benefit for her, both when she has a יבם and when the couple is fighting. It concludes from ריש לקיש and several folk sayings that a woman generally prefers to stay married, and the chapter ends with the הדרן.

Opening lines

מַתְנִי׳ קִידֵּשׁ אַחַת מֵחָמֵשׁ נָשִׁים,

MISHNA: He betrothed one of five women,

וְאֵין יוֹדֵעַ אֵי זוֹ קִידֵּשׁ,

and he does not know which one he betrothed,

כׇּל אַחַת אוֹמֶרֶת: ״אוֹתִי קִידֵּשׁ״

and each one says: "He betrothed me"

נוֹתֵן גֵּט לְכׇל אַחַת וְאַחַת,

he gives a bill of divorce to each and every one,

The steps (25)

  1. StatementBetrothed one of five women: רבי טרפון's ruling
  2. Statementרבי עקיבא: he must give a גט and a כתובה to each woman
  3. StatementStole from one of five people: רבי טרפון's ruling
  4. Statementרבי עקיבא: the thief must pay each person
  5. StatementThe גמרא notices which words the משנה chose
  6. ChallengeWhose opinion is the משנה? It fits neither תנא קמא nor רבי שמעון בן אלעזר
  7. Proofרבי שמעון בן אלעזר: in קידש everyone agrees
  8. ProofAccording to רבי שמעון בן אלעזר, the real dispute is about בעל
  9. ProofThe ברייתא finishes: buying is agreed, stealing is argued
  10. ChallengeSo the first opinion holds they argue about betrothal and buying: whose view is the משנה?
  11. ChallengeThe משנה's wording fits neither opinion
  12. ResolutionThe משנה follows רבי שמעון בן אלעזר: 'betrothed' means through relations
  13. ResolutionWhy the משנה chose the words קידש and גזל
  14. StatementA woman returns from overseas: her son was with them
  15. StatementShe left childless and says a son was born overseas
  16. StatementShe says a יבם was born overseas
  17. StatementShe went with her husband and her יבם: not believed
  18. StatementThe general rule: no one is believed to make himself or herself permitted this way
  19. QuestionSending a גט through an agent when there is a יבם: benefit or harm?
  20. Responseרב נחמן answers from our משנה
  21. QuestionSending a גט when the couple is fighting: benefit or harm?
  22. Responseריש לקיש: better to be married than alone
  23. StatementThree sayings: even a lowly husband is worth it to her
  24. StatementA teaching about some of these women
  25. ConclusionHadran — Closing the chapter הָאִשָּׁה שָׁלוֹם