Yevamos 54a

יבמות נ״ד ע״א

Yevamot 54a

Learn Yevamos 54a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

How much intent is needed for יבום to take effect, and the Torah source that העראה counts as ביאה for all עריות

Overview

The משנה taught that a יבם acquires his יבמה through ביאה whether by mistake or on purpose, by force or willingly. The גמרא looks for a real case of this. A sleeping man (רב יהודה) does not acquire her, and neither does one who fell from a roof (רבה). The case is a man who meant to be with his wife and his יבמה grabbed him. The source is the פסוק 'יבמה יבא עליה'. The גמרא shows that the other lessons drawn from that פסוק, the מצוה and כדרכה, come from other פסוקים. Then it studies רב יהודה's rule about a sleeping man, and explains that a dozing man (מתנמנם) does acquire. It also studies רבה's rule about the man who fell, and brings רבא's rule that intending any act of intercourse is enough. Finally, עולא learns from the פסוק about נדה that העראה counts by Torah law. The גמרא then searches for a source that covers the other עריות, testing pairs of sources. The discussion of רב אחא's objection continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (38)

1. ChallengeA sleeping man does not acquire his יבמה
2. ResolutionMaybe the case is a man who was accidentally inserted
3. Challengeרבה says one who fell from a roof does not acquire
4. ResolutionHe meant to be with his wife and his יבמה grabbed him
5. QuestionWhat is the case where both were forced?
6. ResponseNon-Jews pushed them together
7. QuestionWhere do we learn this from?
8. ResponseThe ברייתא learns it from 'יבמה יבא עליה'
9. ChallengeBut that פסוק was used for the מצוה
10. ResolutionThe מצוה comes from a different פסוק
11. StatementA second ברייתא reads each word of the יבום פסוק
12. ChallengeThat phrase was already used for 'the typical way'
13. Resolution'The typical way' comes from a different פסוק
14. Statementרב יהודה: a sleeping יבם does not acquire
15. ChallengeA ברייתא says awake or asleep both work
16. ResolutionRead it as talking about her
17. ChallengeAnother ברייתא names both him and her
18. ResolutionThe ברייתא means a man who is dozing
19. QuestionWhat counts as dozing?
20. Responseרב אשי defines dozing
21. StatementFalling from a roof: four payments, no acquisition
22. StatementIntending a wall versus intending an animal
23. StatementSource in the תורה that העראה counts
24. QuestionWhat about the other forbidden relations?
25. ChallengeWhy we cannot simply learn from נדה
26. ResponseTrying to learn from a brother's wife
27. ChallengeA brother's wife is special: the number of forbidden women can grow
28. ResponseTrying to learn from a father's sister and a mother's sister
29. ChallengeAunts are special: their prohibition comes on its own
30. ResponseNew plan: learn from two sources together
31. QuestionWhich two sources should we combine?
32. ResponseTrying the pair: brother's wife plus the aunts
33. ChallengeThat pair fails: both are forbidden as family
34. ResponseTrying a new pair: the נדה and the aunts
35. ChallengeRejected: both are forbidden on their own
36. ResponseA pair with no weakness: נדה and אשת אח
37. Challengeרב אחא's objection: אשת איש can become permitted
38. Rejectionרב אחא מדפתי pushes back: are they permitted afterward?