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Yevamos 40a

יבמות מ׳ ע״א

Yevamot 40a

Learn Yevamos 40a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Eating the מנחה as a מצוה (and חלוט as מצה), then who inherits the dead brother's estate after חליצה or יבום

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a ברייתא: the מנחה was permitted, then forbidden, then permitted again, and the פסוק 'מצות תאכל במקום קדוש' teaches that eating it is a מצוה. According to רבא, this means the כהן who prepares it should eat it himself rather than give it to another כהן. According to רב יצחק בר אבדימי (following אבא שאול), the גמרא looks for two ways of eating it. It rejects overeating and חמץ, and settles on baked מצה versus חלוט. The גמרא then explains that חלוט counts as מצה. It is invalid for a מנחה only because the פסוק repeats the requirement, but once baked in an oven it works for מצה on פסח. A new משנה teaches that a brother who does חליצה shares the estate equally with his brothers. A brother who does יבום takes the whole estate, and רבי יהודה says a living father takes it either way. The גמרא explains each clause and gives רבי יהודה's source, comparing the יבם to a בכור. It ends with רבי ינאי and רב נחמן ruling that the הלכה is not like רבי יהודה. The amud closes with the start of a new משנה: after חליצה, each side is forbidden to the other's relatives.

Opening lines

שֶׁבַּתְּחִלָּה הָיְתָה עָלָיו

For at first it was, for him,

בִּכְלַל הֶיתֵּר.

among the permitted things.

נֶאֶסְרָה, וְחָזְרָה וְהוּתְּרָה,

It became forbidden, and then became permitted again.

יָכוֹל תַּחְזוֹר לְהֶיתֵּירָהּ הָרִאשׁוֹן —

One might think it goes back to its original permitted status —

The steps (36)

  1. StatementEnd of the ברייתא: the permitted-forbidden-permitted pattern
  2. QuestionReading the מנחה clause according to רבא
  3. ChallengeA כהן cannot simply choose not to eat
  4. ResolutionThe real doubt: this כהן or another כהן
  5. ChallengeWhat two ways of eating fit רב יצחק בר אבדימי's reading?
  6. ResolutionSuggestion: eating with appetite vs. overeating
  7. RejectionOvereating is not counted as eating
  8. ResolutionSecond suggestion: eating it as מצה or as חמץ
  9. ChallengeThe כהנים' portion may never be חמץ
  10. ResolutionFinal answer: eating it as מצה or as חלוט
  11. ChallengeIs scalded dough מצה or not?
  12. ResolutionIt is מצה, but the פסוק's repetition invalidates it
  13. QuestionThen where does 'חלוט is מצה' matter?
  14. ResponseScalded-then-baked dough works for מצה on פסח
  15. Statementמשנה: Inheritance after חליצה versus יבום
  16. Statementרבי יהודה: A living father always inherits
  17. QuestionIsn't this obvious?
  18. ResponseWe might have thought חליצה replaces יבום
  19. ChallengeThe wording does not fit that answer
  20. ResolutionWe might have thought to penalize him
  21. ProofWhy the father takes the estate
  22. QuestionWhy does the brother who marries the widow inherit?
  23. ResponseHe rises up in his brother's name
  24. StatementThe הלכה follows רבי יהודה
  25. ProofThe יבם is compared to a בכור
  26. ChallengeThen he should get a double portion too
  27. ResolutionThe יבם replaces his brother, not his father
  28. ChallengeMaybe יבום applies only when the יבם inherits
  29. Rejectionיבום does not depend on inheritance
  30. Statementרבי חנינא rules like רבי יהודה
  31. Rejectionרבי ינאי rejects the ruling: the הלכה is not like רבי יהודה
  32. StatementA תנא recites that the הלכה is not like רבי יהודה
  33. ChallengeIsn't that obvious? We always follow the majority
  34. QuestionShould I remove the line?
  35. ResponseKeep it: you were taught the opposite and fixed it correctly
  36. StatementNew משנה: after חליצה, each is forbidden to the other's relatives