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Yevamos 53a

יבמות נ״ג ע״א

Yevamot 53a

Learn Yevamos 53a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The dispute about קידושין 'through the levirate bond' after חליצה, and a line-by-line study of the משנה on acts done after חליצה, מאמר, גט and ביאה

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a dispute between רבי and רבנן: a יבם did חליצה and then said 'be betrothed to me through the levirate bond.' Four explanations are given, each narrower than the last. The first is whether the זיקה is real. The second, from רב שרביא, is whether a חליצה פסולה frees her. The third, from רב אשי, is whether a תנאי works with חליצה. The fourth, from רבינא, is whether that תנאי must be a תנאי כפול. The גמרא then goes through the lines of the משנה one by one. אביי and רבא say the משנה should also teach 'nothing works after ביאה.' The תנא left it out because he preferred the case that frees the יבמה to marry anyone. The גמרא notes that the משנה does not follow בן עזאי. It tries to prove שמואל's view, and to refute רב יוסף, from the משנה's cases. Both proofs are rejected because the משנה says 'חלץ,' which only describes what was done after the fact. The proof for רבה בר רב הונא is also rejected. Finally, the גמרא asks why the משנה needs a line that seems obvious according to ריש לקיש. It answers that the תנא listed every combination of יבמין and יבמות just to complete the pattern.

Opening lines

יֵשׁ זִיקָה,

[רבי holds:] there is a bond,

וַאֲתַאי חֲלִיצָה אַפְקַעְתַּיהּ לְזִיקָּה.

and the חליצה came and cancelled the bond.

וְרַבָּנַן סָבְרִי: אֵין זִיקָּה.

And the Rabbis hold: there is no bond.

מֵעִיקָּרָא אִילּוּ אָמַר לַהּ:

At the start, if he had said to her:

The steps (26)

  1. Responseרבי's side: the bond is real, and חליצה ended it
  2. Responseרבנן's side: no real bond, so the words still work
  3. Responseרב שרביא: they argue about an invalid חליצה
  4. Responseרב אשי: they argue whether a condition works on חליצה
  5. Responseרבינא: they argue whether the condition must be stated both ways
  6. ChallengeWhy doesn't the משנה also say 'nothing works after ביאה'?
  7. Resolutionאביי and רבא: Add the words to the משנה
  8. QuestionSo why did our משנה leave it out?
  9. ResponseThe משנה prefers the case that frees her to marry anyone
  10. StatementOur משנה does not follow בן עזאי
  11. ProofThe ברייתא of בן עזאי
  12. ProofDoes the משנה support שמואל?
  13. ChallengeThis would refute רב יוסף
  14. RejectionThe משנה only describes what was done, not what should be done
  15. ProofDoes the plural 'they need חליצה' support רבה בר רב הונא?
  16. Rejection'They need' means women in general
  17. Proof'גט to one, חליצה to the other' seems to support שמואל
  18. ChallengeThis would refute רב יוסף
  19. Rejection'He did', not 'he should do': only after the fact
  20. ChallengeWhy not also say 'nothing works after ביאה'?
  21. Resolutionאביי and רבא: add it to the משנה
  22. ResolutionWhy our תנא focused on חליצה
  23. ChallengeSetting up a question: the line makes sense for רבי יוחנן
  24. ChallengeFor ריש לקיש, the ruling seems obvious
  25. Resolutionריש לקיש points to an obvious case in the same משנה
  26. ResolutionThe משנה lists every case for completeness