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Yevamos 16b

יבמות ט״ז ע״ב

Yevamot 16b

Learn Yevamos 16b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Converts from תרמוד, aggadot on enemy nations, and a גוי's קידושין in light of the עשרת השבטים

Overview

The גמרא starts with a משנה about stains found among non-Jews. From it, רבי יוחנן learns that converts are accepted even from תרמוד, which clashes with an earlier report in his name. The גמרא answers that different אמוראים reported רבי יוחנן's view in different ways. It then asks why anyone would refuse converts from תרמוד. One view blames the servants of King שלמה. The other blames the men of תרמוד, who attacked the daughters of ירושלים when the היכל was conquered. Next come teachings of רבי יונתן on פסוקים: that שר העולם said 'נער הייתי גם זקנתי', and that עמון and מואב burned the ספרי תורה. Finally, רב אסי rules that a גוי's קידושין today may count, since he might come from the עשרת השבטים. The גמרא limits this to the places where the שבטים settled and begins naming those places, a list that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

קָפָסֵיק וְתָנֵי:

He concluded and taught:

מִבֵּין הַגּוֹיִם,

'from among the gentiles,'

וַאֲפִילּוּ מִן תַּרְמוֹד.

and even from Tarmod.

וְאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן:

And Rabbi Yochanan said:

The steps (18)

  1. ChallengeA משנה shows converts from תרמוד are accepted
  2. RejectionRejecting the idea that רבי יוחנן only reported the inference
  3. ResolutionTwo versions of רבי יוחנן's view
  4. QuestionWhy not accept converts from תרמוד?
  5. ResponseTwo reasons: שלמה's servants or the daughters of ירושלים
  6. QuestionThe servants reason is clear, but what about the daughters reason?
  7. Responseרב יוסף and רבנן disagree about it
  8. ResponseHow many soldiers came from תרמוד
  9. ResponseThe men of תרמוד attacked the daughters of ירושלים
  10. StatementThe angel over the world said 'I was young and now am old'
  11. QuestionNeither הקב״ה nor דוד fits as the speaker
  12. ConclusionSo the angel over the world said it
  13. Statementעמון and מואב burned the ספרי תורה
  14. StatementHostile neighbors right next to the Jews
  15. StatementA gentile's betrothal today may count
  16. ChallengeAnyone who separates is treated like the majority
  17. ResolutionThe worry is only about where the tribes settled
  18. ProofA verse lists where the ten tribes were placed