Yevamos 2a

יבמות ב׳ ע״א

Yevamot 2a

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Topic

The opening משנה of יבמות: fifteen women forbidden to the יבם as ערוה exempt themselves, their צרות, and the צרות of their צרות from חליצה and יבום forever.

Overview

The first משנה of מסכת יבמות sets out a basic rule. When a man dies without children, his brother (the יבם) normally must do יבום or חליצה with the widow. But if the widow is one of fifteen close relatives the יבם may never marry (an ערוה), she is exempt from both. So is her צרה (her co-wife from the dead brother), and even the צרה of that צרה, with no end to the chain. The משנה then starts listing the fifteen women. First come the יבם's own daughter and granddaughters, and his wife's daughter and granddaughters. Next come his mother-in-law and his wife's two grandmothers. Then come his maternal half-sister, his mother's sister, his wife's sister, and the wife of his maternal half-brother. That makes thirteen, and the list continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (4)

1. StatementFifteen forbidden women exempt their co-wives forever
2. StatementThe list begins: his descendants and his wife's descendants
3. StatementThe list continues: his in-laws
4. StatementThe list continues: sisters, an aunt, and a maternal brother's wife