Yevamos 42b
יבמות מ״ב ע״ב
Yevamot 42b
Learn Yevamos 42b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.
Open Yevamos 42b in Gemara Clarity
Topic
Marrying a nursing mother, the three-month wait before remarrying, and rules for deciding הלכה from a סתם משנה
Overview
The amud opens by explaining why a man may not marry a מינקת חברו: if she becomes pregnant, her milk may dry up and the baby could die. The new husband won't pay for other food, and אביי says she is too embarrassed to sue the יורשים in בית דין. Next, the גמרא explains that the משנה's phrase 'אחת בתולות ואחת בעולות' is one general rule: every woman must wait three months. In a short story, רבי אסי tells רבי אלעזר that רבי יוחנן ruled like רבי יוסי, who allows betrothal during the wait. A ברייתא shows that רבי מאיר and רבי יהודה argue about women who clearly cannot be pregnant. רבי יוחנן is then reported to have taken back his ruling because of the teaching of the sages in the vineyard of יבנה. Someone asks how רבי יוחנן could rule against a סתם משנה, and רבי אבהו answers with a rule: a סתם followed by a מחלוקת is not binding, while a מחלוקת followed by a סתם is. Finally, רבי נחום asks רבי אבהו how to rule when a משנה and a ברייתא conflict, and the last answer continues on the next amud.
Opening lines
דִּלְמָא אִיעַבַּרָה וּמִעֲכַר חַלְבַהּ,
Perhaps she will become pregnant and her milk will dry up,
וְקָטְלָה לֵיהּ.
and she will kill him.
אִי הָכִי, דִּידֵיהּ נָמֵי!
If so, his own as well!
דִּידֵיהּ — מְמַסְמְסָא לֵיהּ בְּבֵיצִים. וְחָלָב
His own, she feeds him with eggs and milk.
The steps (21)
- ResponseThe danger: pregnancy may dry up her milk
- ChallengeThen the same danger exists with his own baby
- ResolutionFor his own child, she will feed him eggs
- ChallengeShe can feed her own baby eggs and milk too
- ResolutionThe new husband won't pay for it
- ChallengeShe could claim support from the heirs
- Resolutionאביי: she is too embarrassed to go to court
- QuestionThe משנה's words seem to repeat themselves
- ResponseIt is one general rule, not separate groups
- Questionרבי אלעזר asks what was taught in the study hall
- Responseרבי יוחנן rules like רבי יוסי
- Questionרבי אלעזר infers that a lone opinion disagrees
- Responseרבי אסי confirms the dispute with a ברייתא
- Statementרבי יוחנן changed his mind
- ProofThe vineyard ברייתא caused the retraction
- Challengeרבי יוחנן's own rule about an unattributed משנה
- Resolutionרבי אבהו: An unnamed ruling followed by a dispute is not binding
- Proofרב פפא's rule about the order of unnamed rulings and disputes
- Statementרבי נחום gathers הלכות from רבי אבהו
- Questionרבי נחום asks about the order of unnamed ruling and dispute
- QuestionUnnamed ruling in a משנה against a dispute in a ברייתא