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Yevamos 17b

יבמות י״ז ע״ב

Yevamot 17b

Learn Yevamos 17b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Yevamos 17b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The two readings of the משנה, the sources for excluding אשת אחיו שלא היה בעולמו and a maternal brother from יבום, and the argument of רב and רב יהודה about זיקה

Overview

The גמרא first settles a disagreement about the wording of the משנה: some call the woman who must leave 'the first' and others call her 'the second.' Both readings are shown to be correct. 'First' means first to fall to יבום, and 'second' means she has been married twice. Next, רב learns from 'כי ישבו אחים יחדו' that there is no יבום with אשת אחיו שלא היה בעולמו. From 'יחדו' he also learns that a brother from the mother only is excluded. רבה learns that second rule instead from a גזירה שוה of 'אחים' by the sons of יעקב. The גמרא explains why that source beats עריות and לוט, and why the תורה needed both 'אחים' and 'יחדו'. Then רב (quoted by רב הונא) says that if a שומרת יבם dies, the יבם may marry her mother, because אין זיקה, and the גמרא explains his exact wording and defends him from a משנה. Finally, רב יהודה forbids the mother because יש זיקה, and the גמרא begins explaining his wording, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

רִאשׁוֹנָה לָא מִשְׁתַּבַּשׁ:

[The one who teaches] 'the first' is not mistaken,

מַאי רִאשׁוֹנָה —

What does 'first' mean?

רִאשׁוֹנָה לִנְפִילָה,

The first to fall [to יבום].

וּמַאן דְּתָנֵי שְׁנִיָּה לָא מִשְׁתַּבַּשׁ:

And the one who teaches 'the second' is not mistaken,

The steps (31)

  1. ResolutionThe reading 'first' means first to fall to יבום
  2. ResolutionThe reading 'second' means second to marry him
  3. ChallengeBut what if he did יבום first and married the other wife later?
  4. Resolution'Second' means she has been married twice
  5. QuestionWhere does the תורה teach אשת אחיו שלא היה בעולמו?
  6. Responseרב: 'כי ישבו אחים יחדו' means they lived at the same time
  7. Statement'יחדו' excludes a brother from the mother only
  8. Statementרבה: learn 'brothers from the father' from the sons of יעקב
  9. ChallengeWhy not learn 'brothers' from עריות instead?
  10. ResolutionLearn 'אחים' from 'אחים', not from 'אחיך'
  11. ChallengeWhy should a small difference in wording matter?
  12. ResolutionWhen a closer match exists, we learn from the closer match
  13. ChallengeWhy not learn 'brothers' from לוט?
  14. ResolutionThe word 'brothers' by יעקב's sons is extra, so it is a better source
  15. StatementBoth 'אחים' and 'יחדו' had to be written
  16. StatementWithout 'יחדו', we might have learned from לוט
  17. ConclusionWithout 'אחים', we might require the same father and mother
  18. ChallengeWhy would we think a shared mother matters?
  19. ResolutionBecause יבום permits a forbidden relation, we might have limited it
  20. StatementIf the waiting widow dies, the יבם may marry her mother
  21. ChallengeWhy not just rule like the opinion that there is no זיקה?
  22. ResolutionA general ruling might seem to cover only two brothers
  23. ChallengeThen why not say no זיקה even with one brother?
  24. ResolutionOnly after her death, not while she is alive
  25. ChallengeA משנה seems to permit only the sister, not the mother
  26. ResolutionThe wording was copied from the first part of the משנה
  27. Statementרב יהודה forbids the mother, so he holds יש זיקה
  28. ChallengeWhy not simply rule like the view of יש זיקה?
  29. ResolutionA general ruling might be limited to one brother
  30. ChallengeBut the argument is about two brothers
  31. ResolutionStarting a new answer