Yevamos 49a

יבמות מ״ט ע״א

Yevamot 49a

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Topic

Who counts as a ממזר: the three views in the משנה and their sources in one פסוק, plus when a wife's or יבמה's sister becomes permitted

Overview

The משנה gives three opinions about which forbidden relationships produce a ממזר. רבי עקיבא says any forbidden close relative, שמעון התימני says any relationship punished by כרת (and the הלכה follows him), and רבי יהושע says only relationships punished by מיתת בית דין. בן עזאי supports רבי יהושע with an old lineage scroll from ירושלים. The משנה then lists cases where a man may marry the sister of his wife or his יבמה once she has died. The גמרא finds all three opinions in one פסוק in דברים: 'A man shall not take his father's wife, and shall not uncover his father's cloak,' which sits right next to 'לא יבא ממזר.' רבי עקיבא reads 'his father's cloak' as a לאו-level case, and the wider views of רבי סימאי and רבי ישבב come from the extra 'and' in 'וְלֹא'. שמעון התימני reads it as a כרת-level case. רבי יהושע reads the פסוק as drawing a line at the father's wife. אביי then begins a statement that all the תנאים agree about a נדה, and his statement continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (15)

1. Statementרבי עקיבא's definition of a ממזר
2. Statementשמעון התימני: only relationships punished by כרת
3. Statementרבי יהושע: only relationships punished by court-imposed death
4. Proofבן עזאי's lineage scroll supports רבי יהושע
5. StatementA wife's sister is permitted after the wife dies
6. StatementA יבמה's sister is permitted after the יבמה dies
7. QuestionWhat is רבי עקיבא's source?
8. ResponseThe verse about the father's cloak
9. Responseרבי עקיבא follows רבי יהודה: the פסוק is about a woman raped by his father
10. ResponseA פסוק close by says 'a ממזר shall not enter', so a לאו relationship makes a ממזר
11. QuestionWhat is the source according to רבי סימאי and רבי ישבב?
12. ResponseThey learn it from the extra word 'and' in 'וְלֹא'
13. Responseשמעון התימני's source: only כרת-level relationships make a ממזר
14. Responseרבי יהושע's source: only the father's-wife level makes a ממזר
15. Statementאביי begins: everyone agrees about one who is with a נדה