Yevamos 3a

יבמות ג׳ ע״א

Yevamot 3a

Learn Yevamos 3a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Yevamos 3a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The order of the relatives in the משנה's list, and the precise wording of פוטרות and מן החליצה ומן הייבום

Overview

The גמרא continues explaining why the משנה opens its list with בתו. All fifteen relatives need a דרשה for their יבום exemption, but only for בתו (a daughter from rape) is even the basic איסור learned through a דרשה, from the גזירה שוה links הנה–הנה and זמה–זמה. When this approach runs into trouble over where אחות אשה and the sister cases are placed, the גמרא drops it. In its place, it explains that the תנא lists the women by closeness of relation. He keeps related groups together, such as three generations, or sisters and siblings, even when that bends the order slightly. Next the גמרא examines the משנה's wording. It says פוטרות rather than אוסרות, because the צרה needs no חליצה and is forbidden only where the מצוה of יבום applies. It mentions both חליצה and יבום to teach that whoever is not fit for יבום does not need חליצה either. It lists חליצה first because the משנה follows אבא שאול, who gives חליצה priority. Finally, the גמרא asks what the exact numbers in the משנה come to exclude, and the answers come on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (21)

1. ChallengeBut every case in the list comes from a derivation
2. ResolutionOnly for the daughter is the basic prohibition itself derived
3. ProofThe source for the daughter's prohibition: two גזירה שוה links
4. ChallengeThen the wife's sister should come last
5. ResolutionThe wife's sister is grouped with the other sisters
6. ChallengeThen put the whole sister section at the end
7. ResolutionNew rule: the list follows closeness of relation
8. ResolutionSisters next, and the wife's sister joins them
9. ChallengeBy right, the daughter-in-law should come earlier
10. ResolutionThe brother's wife was kept with the sibling cases
11. ChallengeWhy say 'exempt' and not 'forbid'?
12. Resolution'Forbid' could suggest she still needs חליצה
13. ChallengeWhy not say she is forbidden to do חליצה?
14. Resolutionחליצה is not really a forbidden act
15. RejectionA needless חליצה does lead to a real problem
16. ResolutionThe צרה is only forbidden where there is a מצוה
17. ChallengeWhy mention both חליצה and יבום?
18. ResolutionNo יבום means no חליצה
19. ChallengeWhy is חליצה listed first?
20. ResolutionThe משנה follows אבא שאול
21. QuestionWhat do the numbers in the משנה come to leave out?