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Yevamos 15a

יבמות ט״ו ע״א

Yevamot 15a

Learn Yevamos 15a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Did בית שמאי act on their own rulings (עשו)? The גמרא tests several sources and stories, from the תקנה for צרות to רבי עקיבא's אתרוג, שמאי's סוכה, and the trough of יהוא.

Overview

The גמרא asks whether בית שמאי actually acted on their own rulings (עשו), especially their view that a צרה may do יבום. First it brings a ברייתא: the חכמים wanted to rule that all צרות do חליצה, and רבן שמעון בן גמליאל asked, 'What shall we do with the earlier צרות?' רב נחמן בר יצחק explains that this worry fits even if בית שמאי never acted. It is about צרות who married others without חליצה, following בית הלל. Next, רבי טרפון's wish to 'marry' his daughter's צרה is reread as 'marry her off,' and the story of רבן גמליאל doing יבום with his daughter's צרה is explained by the fact that she was an אילונית. Then רב משרשיא and מר זוטרא bring stories of action that looks like בית שמאי's view: רבי עקיבא's double tithe on an אתרוג, and שמאי's סוכה over a newborn. Each is answered: רבי עקיבא was unsure what בית הלל held, and onlookers would think שמאי just wanted fresh air. Finally מר זוטרא brings the trough of יהוא, which בית שמאי widened, and the גמרא's answer begins at the end of the amud and continues on the next one.

Opening lines

שֶׁיְּהוּ חוֹלְצוֹת וְלֹא מִתְיַיבְּמוֹת.

that they should do חליצה and not do יבום.

לֹא הִסְפִּיקוּ לִגְמוֹר אֶת הַדָּבָר

They did not manage to finish the matter

עַד שֶׁנִּטְרְפָה הַשָּׁעָה.

before the time became troubled.

אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל:

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said to him:

The steps (23)

  1. StatementThe proposed rule for צרות is cut off by a time of trouble
  2. Statementרבן שמעון בן גמליאל asks what to do with the earlier צרות
  3. ProofThe question only makes sense if בית שמאי acted on their view
  4. Rejectionרב נחמן בר יצחק: the worry is about the צרה herself
  5. ResolutionWhy the earlier rival wives can't just do חליצה now
  6. ProofProof from רבי טרפון's wish to marry his daughter's rival wife
  7. RejectionReread it as 'I will marry her off'
  8. ChallengeBut why would he long for something so ordinary?
  9. ResolutionHe longed to show the הלכה is not like רבי יוחנן בן נורי
  10. ProofProof from רבן גמליאל doing יבום with his daughter's rival wife
  11. ChallengeWas רבן גמליאל really a student of בית שמאי?
  12. Resolutionרבן גמליאל's daughter was an אילונית
  13. ChallengeThe ברייתא suggests the תנא קמא disagrees
  14. ResolutionThey disagree about whether he knew
  15. ResolutionSecond answer: married and later divorced
  16. ResolutionThird answer: a condition in a marriage
  17. Challengeרבי עקיבא tithed an אתרוג according to both opinions
  18. Resolutionרבי עקיבא was unsure what בית הלל held
  19. Challengeשמאי הזקן built a סוכה over a newborn
  20. ResolutionOnlookers would think he just wanted fresh air
  21. Challengeבית שמאי widened the hole in the trough of יהוא
  22. Challengeבית הלל accept a small hole, so בית שמאי acted against them
  23. ResolutionThe answer begins: "There…"