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Yevamos 22a

יבמות כ״ב ע״א

Yevamot 22a

Learn Yevamos 22a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

שניות (their counting, scope, and application to converts), converted brothers as witnesses, and the new משנה on who counts as a brother or son for יבום

Overview

The גמרא finishes counting the list of שניות. It then rejects רב הלל's proof against אמימר, because no one can confirm that the list he saw was written by מר בריה דרבנא. Next comes a teaching from the school of רבי חייא that adds great-granddaughters and the wife's great-grandmothers as שניות. The גמרא explains why the wife is counted as a generation going up but not going down. It then asks whether these שניות have a stopping point; both proofs are pushed off, and the question is never settled. רב נחמן teaches that the רבנן did not decree שניות for גרים, and he rules on whether converted brothers may testify together, where אמימר is more lenient. The גמרא explains that testimony is in the hands of בית דין, and a גר is like a newborn. Finally, a new משנה teaches that any brother obligates יבום and any son exempts from it. The גמרא shows that 'of any kind' includes a ממזר, and it begins an argument that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

הָנָךְ תַּרְתֵּי דְּדָמְיָין לַהֲדָדֵי

Those two that are similar to each other

כַּחֲדָא חָשֵׁיב לְהוּ,

he counts them as one,

וְהָא שִׁיתַּסְרֵי.

and so there are sixteen.

וְהָא מִכׇּל מָקוֹם

But in any case,

The steps (27)

  1. ResolutionTwo similar cases count as one, so the total is sixteen
  2. Challengeרב הלל insists he saw them written as forbidden
  3. Rejectionרב אשי: an unsigned list proves nothing
  4. StatementSchool of רבי חייא: great-grandchildren and the wife's great-grandmothers
  5. Questionרבינא asks why the wife is counted only going up
  6. ResponseGoing up, the prohibition comes through the wife
  7. ChallengeBut the wife's own descendants also come through her
  8. ResolutionThe wording was kept the same for both lines going down
  9. QuestionDo the extra secondary relatives of רבי חייא's school have a stopping point?
  10. ProofProof from רב: only four women have a stopping point
  11. Rejectionרב may have meant only one particular list
  12. ProofProof from the wording 'third and fourth'
  13. RejectionIt may mean from the third and fourth onward
  14. QuestionDid the רבנן decree secondary relatives for converts?
  15. ResponseNo שניות for converts: a קל וחומר
  16. Statementרב נחמן: converted brothers as witnesses
  17. Statementאמימר: even maternal brothers may testify
  18. ChallengeWhy is testimony different from forbidden relations?
  19. ResolutionRelations are handled by everyone, testimony by the court
  20. Statementמשנה: any brother obligates יבום
  21. Statementמשנה: any son exempts from יבום
  22. QuestionWhat does 'of any kind' add?
  23. Responseרב יהודה: it includes a ממזר
  24. ChallengeIsn't that obvious?
  25. ResolutionWe might have learned from יעקב's sons
  26. ChallengeMaybe a ממזר brother really doesn't count
  27. ResolutionA ממזר son does exempt from יבום