Yevamos 24b

יבמות כ״ד ע״ב

Yevamot 24b

Learn Yevamos 24b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The יבם compared to a בכור; a man suspected with a woman who later became permitted to him; the validity of conversion for outside motives; and רב's rule that a forced divorce requires עדים.

Overview

The גמרא first finishes an earlier point: the תורה calls the יבם a 'בכור' to limit him, so like a בכור he inherits only from מוחזק, not from ראוי. A new משנה follows. A man suspected with a שפחה who was freed, or with a גויה who converted, should not marry her, but if he did he keeps her. A man suspected with an אשת איש whose husband was made to divorce her must divorce her even after marrying her. The גמרא infers that a woman who converted for marriage is a real convert, and challenges this with רבי נחמיה, who rejects any conversion done for outside motives. It answers that the הלכה follows the view that all such converts are valid, and the ban on marrying her at the start comes from רב אסי's teaching to avoid confirming a rumor. A side ברייתא adds that converts are not accepted in the days of the משיח, דוד or שלמה. Finally רב limits the אשת איש rule to a case with עדים. He is defended against two ברייתות: through the plural word 'הוציאוה', which points to a בית דין, or by saying the strict ברייתות follow רבי, who separates a couple whenever 'מכוער הדבר'.

Opening lines

The steps (24)

1. QuestionWhat law comes from calling the יבם a firstborn?
2. ResponseThe comparison limits the יבם's inheritance
3. StatementSuspected with a maidservant or a gentile woman who later became Jewish
4. StatementSuspected with a married woman: he must divorce her
5. StatementInference: the woman is a real convert
6. ChallengeContradiction: רבי נחמיה says such converts are not converts
7. Statementרבי נחמיה's wider rule: no conversion out of fear, dreams, or pressure
8. ChallengeHow can it say 'at this time'?
9. ResolutionRead it as 'like at this time'
10. ResolutionThe הלכה: all of them are real converts
11. ChallengeThen why not let him marry her from the start?
12. ResolutionBecause of רב אסי: avoid crooked talk
13. StatementNo converts in the days of the משיח, דוד or שלמה
14. Proofרבי אליעזר's פסוק for the rule
15. Statementרב limits the משנה's rule to a case with witnesses
16. Challengeרב ששת says רב was half-asleep and cites a ברייתא
17. ProofShowing the ברייתא must be a case without witnesses
18. Resolutionרב's answer: the ברייתא is only about marrying at the start
19. ChallengeA ברייתא that separates a childless woman without witnesses
20. Resolutionרב sets the משנה where she has children and there are witnesses
21. QuestionWhy did רב need such a narrow reading?
22. ResponseThe plural word 'הוציאוה' points to a court
23. ResolutionSecond answer: those ברייתות follow רבי
24. Proofרבי is strict when the matter looks ugly