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Yevamos 18a

יבמות י״ח ע״א

Yevamot 18a

Learn Yevamos 18a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Yevamos 18a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Is the levirate bond (זיקה) real? Testing רב יהודה's ruling, challenges from the משנה and a ברייתא, and רבי מאיר's view on losing the מצוה of יבום.

Overview

The amud opens by finishing an explanation: רב יהודה needed to teach that the זיקה does not just vanish when the יבמה dies. A ברייתא that permits a dead יבמה's sister is offered as support for him, but the proof is pushed off because the wording only copies the ברייתא's first clause. רב הונא בר חייא then challenges the idea of יש זיקה from our משנה about מאמר. רבה answers that even without מאמר the second wife only does חליצה, and that the משנה mentions מאמר only to reject בית שמאי. אביי challenges again from a ברייתא that allows יבום, and the גמרא answers that this ברייתא follows רבי מאיר, who holds אין זיקה. That answer is tested against a משנה about two sisters, where רבי מאיר forbids יבום only out of fear that the מצוה will be lost. When רבן גמליאל is brought up as someone who does not worry about losing the מצוה, רבה explains that the two תנאים can be at opposite extremes. Finally, אביי tells רב יוסף that רב יהודה's ruling comes from שמואל and begins quoting a משנה to show it, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

הֲוָה אָמֵינָא מֵחַיִּים,

I would have said: while she is alive,

אֲבָל לְאַחַר מִיתָה — פָּקְעָה לַהּ זִיקָה,

but after death the bond is dissolved,

קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן

so he teaches us

דְּזִיקָה בִּכְדִי לָא פָּקְעָה.

that a bond does not dissolve for no reason.

The steps (17)

  1. ResolutionWhy the ruling was needed: the bond does not end by itself
  2. ProofA possible proof from a ruling about the dead יבמה's sister
  3. RejectionThe proof is rejected: the wording just copies the first clause
  4. ChallengeChallenge from the משנה: without מאמר, the second wife could do יבום
  5. Resolutionרבה: even without מאמר, the second wife only does חליצה
  6. ResolutionWhy the משנה mentioned levirate betrothal
  7. Challengeאביי's challenge from a case with no levirate betrothal
  8. ResolutionThe ברייתא follows רבי מאיר
  9. ChallengeDoes רבי מאיר really hold there is no bond? The four brothers case
  10. ChallengeWithout a bond, each brother could marry one sister
  11. Resolutionרבי מאיר holds no bond, but fears losing the מצוה
  12. ChallengeIf there is no bond, let the מצוה be lost
  13. ProofThe source for רבן גמליאל's view
  14. RejectionYou can't compare two different תנאים
  15. Challengeאביי explains: the gap is too big
  16. ResolutionSuch a gap is possible
  17. Statementאביי says רב יהודה's ruling comes from שמואל