Yevamos 21a

יבמות כ״א ע״א

Yevamot 21a

Learn Yevamos 21a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The צרה of a כהן גדול's widowed יבמה; the sources and rabbinic status of שניות; the ברייתא's list of שניות; and which שניות have a הפסק

Overview

The amud opens by settling an earlier dispute about a widow who falls to a כהן גדול for יבום, and whether that frees her צרה. The dispute is narrowed to a widow from אירוסין. The view that she does not free the צרה is refuted by a ברייתא, and ריש לקיש is defended, since חליצה in place of יבום is not the מצוה. רבא then finds a hint in the תורה for שניות, the rabbinic secondary forbidden relationships. This leads to a side discussion with רבי לוי about why cheating with measures is harsher than עריות: it cannot be fully fixed with תשובה. רב יהודה, רבי אושעיא and רב כהנא each offer another source for making a fence around עריות, and the גמרא concludes that שניות are rabbinic and the פסוק is only an אסמכתא. A ברייתא then lists the שניות and some stepfamily cases, and the גמרא explains its wording. Finally, רב and זעירי discuss which שניות have a הפסק, a point where the prohibition stops, and the גמרא begins to look at the daughter-in-law case, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (37)

1. StatementA widow after full marriage: everyone agrees
2. StatementThe real argument: a widow from engagement
3. ChallengeChallenge from the ברייתא: if they had relations, they acquired her
4. ConclusionThe challenge stands
5. ChallengeIs ריש לקיש refuted too?
6. Resolutionריש לקיש: חליצה instead of יבום is not the מצוה
7. Statementרבא: a hint in the תורה for שניות
8. QuestionHow do we know 'האל' means harsh?
9. ResponseProof from 'the mighty of the land'
10. ChallengeDoes this clash with רבי לוי?
11. ResolutionBoth are harsh, but 'אלה' is harsher
12. ChallengeBut עריות also have the word 'אלה'
13. ResolutionThat 'אלה' keeps measures out of כרת
14. QuestionSo what makes measures more severe?
15. Responseעריות can be fixed with תשובה, measures cannot
16. Proofרב יהודה's source: שלמה made handles for the Torah
17. Proofרבי אושעיא's source: stay far away from sin
18. Statementרב אשי's parable of guarding an orchard
19. RejectionThe גמרא rejects רב אשי's parable
20. Proofרב כהנא's source: make a guard for My guard
21. ChallengeIf a פסוק is the source, שניות would be Torah law
22. ResolutionThe תורה commands it and the רבנן explain it
23. ChallengeThe רבנן explain the whole תורה too
24. Conclusionשניות are rabbinic, and the פסוק is only a hint
25. StatementThe ברייתא's list of שניות
26. StatementWho is permitted and who is forbidden in stepfamily cases
27. Statement"I am permitted to you, but my daughter is forbidden"
28. ChallengeA stepson's daughter is forbidden by the תורה
29. ResolutionShe was listed only to set up the later line
30. ChallengeWhy not also teach the father-in-law's wife case?
31. ResolutionOne case is permanent, the other is not
32. Statementרב: four women whose prohibition stops
33. Statementזעירי adds the fourth: his mother's father's wife
34. StatementA memory aid for זעירי's addition
35. ResponseWhy רב did not count the mother's father's wife
36. ResponseWhy זעירי is not worried about confusion
37. StatementTurning to the daughter-in-law case