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Yevamos 30a

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Yevamot 30a

Learn Yevamos 30a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Three brothers, two married to sisters: when a נכרית becomes a צרה of an ערוה, the rule that 'forbidden once, forbidden forever', and רב נחמן against רב אשי on whether זיקה is real

Overview

This amud has a run of משניות about three brothers. Two of them are married to two sisters, and the third is married to an unrelated woman (נכרית). In the first two משניות, יבום makes the נכרית a צרה of a sister who is forbidden to the last brother, so both women go free. If only מאמר was done, the נכרית does חליצה and not יבום. From the first משנה, רב נחמן learns that אין זיקה, even with one brother. The גמרא then asks why the second משנה is needed at all, since it follows by קל וחומר. It answers that the תנא changed his ruling, and a משנה does not move from its place. The next משנה teaches that a sister who was forbidden to a brother at one moment stays forbidden to him forever. רב then gives a general rule about the moment of falling, and the גמרא shows what that rule adds beyond two משניות. The last משנה shows when a צרה is permitted because the sister was divorced first. From it, רב אשי learns that יש זיקה, even with two brothers. He then answers רב נחמן's proof by saying the mention of מאמר is there to reject בית שמאי, and this answer continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

מַתְנִי׳ שְׁלֹשָׁה אַחִין,

MISHNA: Three brothers,

שְׁנַיִם מֵהֶם נְשׂוּאִים שְׁתֵּי אֲחָיוֹת,

two of them are married to two sisters,

וְאֶחָד נָשׂוּי נׇכְרִית.

and one is married to an unrelated woman.

מֵת אֶחָד מִבַּעֲלֵי אֲחָיוֹת,

One of the husbands of the sisters died (childless),

The steps (20)

  1. StatementFirst משנה: the brother married to the unrelated woman takes his sister-in-law
  2. StatementInference: without מאמר the unrelated woman could do יבום
  3. Statementרב נחמן: the levirate bond is not a real marriage, even with one brother
  4. StatementSecond משנה: a sister's husband takes the unrelated woman
  5. ChallengeWhy do we need the second משנה?
  6. ProofThe קל וחומר: the second case follows even more strongly
  7. ResolutionThe תנא changed his mind about the first case
  8. ResolutionThe new ruling was placed first, and the old משנה stayed
  9. StatementA sister forbidden for one moment stays forbidden forever
  10. Statementרב's rule: judge her status at the moment she falls
  11. ChallengeWhat does רב add beyond the משנה?
  12. Resolutionרב covers a woman who was fit for a short time
  13. ChallengeA different משנה already says this
  14. ResolutionIn רב's case another brother is still available
  15. StatementNew משנה: three brothers, and the rival wife is permitted
  16. StatementThe גמרא infers: order of events matters
  17. Statementרב אשי: the bond of יבום is real even with two brothers
  18. Challengeרב אשי seems to clash with רב נחמן
  19. Resolutionרב אשי: same law even without מאמר
  20. ResolutionWhy the משנה mentions מאמר: to reject בית שמאי