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Yevamos 4a

יבמות ד׳ ע״א

Yevamot 4a

Learn Yevamos 4a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Yevamos 4a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Learning from neighboring פסוקים (סמוכים): עשה דוחה לא תעשה from ציצית and כלאים, and why רבי יהודה accepts סמוכים only in ספר דברים

Overview

The גמרא finishes its proof that a positive מצוה (עשה) can override a prohibition (לא תעשה). The proof is that the פסוק forbidding שעטנז sits right next to the מצוה of ציצית. רבי אלעזר brings a source from תהלים that we may learn from neighboring פסוקים (סמוכים), and he gives another example about a יבמה whose יבם has boils. רב יוסף adds that even someone who usually rejects סמוכים, like רבי יהודה, accepts them in ספר דברים. The גמרא proves both halves of this. From a ברייתא about stoning a מכשפה, we see that רבי יהודה normally rejects סמוכים. From a משנה about a woman one's father raped or seduced, we see that he does learn from them in ספר דברים. The רבנן disagree with that reading, saying the פסוקים are interrupted. Finally, the גמרא gives two reasons why ספר דברים is different for רבי יהודה: the placement is clearly on purpose (מוכח), or the words are extra (מופנה).

Opening lines

דִּכְתִיב: ״לֹא תִלְבַּשׁ שַׁעַטְנֵז״,

As it is written: 'You shall not wear wool and linen together,'

״גְּדִלִים תַּעֲשֶׂה לָּךְ״.

'You shall make for yourself twisted fringes.'

וְאָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר:

And Rabbi Elazar said:

סְמוּכִים מִן הַתּוֹרָה מִנַּיִן,

From where in the Torah do we know to learn from neighboring verses?

The steps (19)

  1. ProofProof from ציצית and שעטנז
  2. StatementSource that neighboring פסוקים teach us
  3. StatementA יבמה whose יבם has boils
  4. StatementEveryone learns סמוכים in ספר דברים
  5. QuestionHow do we know רבי יהודה usually does not learn from neighboring verses?
  6. Proofבן עזאי learns stoning for a sorceress from the neighboring verse
  7. Rejectionרבי יהודה refuses to stone someone based on neighboring verses
  8. Statementרבי יהודה's own source: a comparison to אוב and ידעוני
  9. QuestionHow do we know רבי יהודה does learn from neighboring verses in דברים?
  10. ProofThe משנה: רבי יהודה forbids a woman his father raped or seduced
  11. Statementרב explains the source for רבי יהודה's ruling
  12. QuestionHow do we know the verse is about a raped woman?
  13. ResponseFrom the verse right before it
  14. RejectionThe רבנן say the verses are not really next to each other
  15. ResolutionThe רבנן's reading: the father's שומרת יבם, an extra prohibition
  16. QuestionWhy does רבי יהודה learn from neighboring verses in ספר דברים?
  17. ResponseTwo possible reasons: it is clear, or it is free
  18. ResponseFirst reason: the verse is out of its natural place
  19. ResponseSecond reason: the extra words are free to teach