Gemara Clarity

Yevamos 19a

יבמות י״ט ע״א

Yevamot 19a

Learn Yevamos 19a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Yevamos 19a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

How strong is the יבום bond (זיקה) for רבי שמעון, and when does a later-born brother's birth forbid the widow?

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a proof that רבי שמעון is in doubt about how strong the יבום bond (זיקה) is. Someone suggests that his requirement of חליצה is only a rabbinic גזירה. The גמרא rejects that, because a ברייתא shows רבי שמעון's real reason is a doubt about the second brother's מאמר. אביי then argues that רבי שמעון may hold זיקה ככנוסה when there is one יבם, and be unsure only when there are two. The גמרא tests this split against רבי שמעון's 'rule' about a brother born before or after the יבום, and against רב אושעיא's case of two brothers married to related women. רב עמרם and רבא each try to answer the second challenge, and both answers are rejected. רב אשי then saves the view: the women fell at the very same moment, which רבי שמעון holds is possible, like רבי יוסי הגלילי. Finally, רב פפא limits רבי שמעון's leniency to a case where the יבום came before the brother's birth, and a ברייתא is brought that supports him and refutes רבי אושעיא.

Opening lines

מִבַּיִת אֶחָד.

from one household.

יַבּוֹמֵי חֲדָא וְאִיפְּטוֹרֵ[י] אִידַּךְ

To do יבום with one and free the other,

לָא, דְּדִלְמָא

he may not, because perhaps

אֵין זִיקָה כִּכְנוּסָה,

the bond is not like full marriage,

The steps (24)

  1. Proofרבי שמעון's ruling shows he is in doubt
  2. RejectionMaybe the חליצה is only a rabbinic safeguard
  3. RejectionNo, his reason is a real doubt about the מאמר
  4. ProofThe ברייתא where רבי שמעון explains himself
  5. Rejectionאביי splits one brother-in-law from two
  6. ChallengeA ברייתא with רבי שמעון's general rule
  7. ChallengeThe ברייתא seems to be about one יבם
  8. ResolutionThe ברייתא is about two יבמים
  9. QuestionSo with one יבם she would be permitted?
  10. ChallengeThen רבי שמעון should have spelled out the split
  11. ResolutionThe whole ברייתא is about two יבמים
  12. ChallengeThen why call it a 'rule'?
  13. Challengeרב אושעיא brings the case of three brothers
  14. ChallengeIf זיקה is like marriage, the first widow should do יבום
  15. Resolutionרב עמרם: רבי שמעון only exempts the second
  16. RejectionA ברייתא says רבי שמעון exempts both
  17. Resolutionרבא reads 'both' as two different pairs
  18. Rejectionרבא misread the case as four pairs
  19. RejectionA ברייתא says neither sister may be taken
  20. Resolutionרב אשי: the women fell at the very same moment
  21. Statementרב פפא limits רבי שמעון's leniency to a brother born after the יבום
  22. ResolutionBoth משניות follow the רבנן, in a 'not only this, but also that' style
  23. ProofA ברייתא supports רב פפא: the brother is born before the מאמר
  24. ProofThe ברייתא continues: a מאמר done before or after the birth