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Yevamos 61a

יבמות ס״א ע״א

Yevamot 61a

Learn Yevamos 61a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

טומאת אהל of non-Jews, a כהן גדול marrying a widow or יבמה, and a כהן marrying an אילונית

Overview

The amud opens with the ruling of רבי שמעון בן יוחאי that graves of גוים do not spread טומאת אהל, because only Jews are called 'אדם'. The גמרא tests this with three פסוקים. Two of them call non-Jews 'אדם' only to set people apart from animals. The third is about the war with מדין, and it leads to a back-and-forth with the רבנן. רבינא then explains that non-Jewish bodies still make people טמא by touching and carrying. Next, a משנה rules that a כהן who betrothed a widow and then became כהן גדול may marry her, but he may not marry a יבמה. The גמרא learns this from 'יקח אשה' and tells how יהושע בן גמלא was made כהן גדול through a bribe. Another משנה says a כהן גדול does חליצה, not יבום, and the גמרא explains this with a rabbinic גזירה. The last משנה is about a כהן marrying an אילונית, and the גמרא begins to ask why the משנה speaks only about a כהן.

Opening lines

קִבְרֵי גוֹיִם אֵינָן מְטַמְּאִין בְּאֹהֶל,

The graves of non-Jews do not make things impure through a tent,

שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְאַתֵּן צֹאנִי

as it says: 'And you, My sheep,'

צֹאן מַרְעִיתִי אָדָם אַתֶּם״.

'the sheep of My pasture, are men (אדם).'

אַתֶּם קְרוּיִין אָדָם,

You are called 'אדם',

The steps (28)

  1. StatementGraves of non-Jews do not make things impure through a tent
  2. ChallengeChallenge from the captives of מדין, called 'נפש אדם'
  3. ResolutionAnswer: the word 'אדם' there sets people apart from animals
  4. ChallengeChallenge from the people of נינוה, called 'אדם'
  5. ResolutionSame answer: the people of נינוה are set apart from the animals
  6. ChallengeChallenge: soldiers had to purify themselves after the war with מדין
  7. ResolutionAnswer: maybe one Jewish soldier was killed
  8. RejectionThe רבנן reply: no Jewish soldier was missing
  9. Resolutionרבי שמעון בן יוחאי: 'not missing' means no one sinned
  10. Resolutionרבינא: touching and carrying still cause impurity
  11. Statementמשנה: betrothed widow may be married after appointment
  12. ProofThe story of יהושע בן גמלא
  13. Statementמשנה: a waiting יבמה may not be married
  14. StatementSource: 'He shall take a wife'
  15. ChallengeThen a yevamah should be allowed too
  16. Resolution'A wife', not a יבמה
  17. StatementClose reading: 'appointed him', not 'was appointed'
  18. Statementרב יוסף sees a conspiracy
  19. Proofרב אסי: the bribe to King ינאי
  20. StatementA כהן גדול whose brother died does חליצה, not יבום
  21. StatementThe משנה's rule covers both betrothal and marriage
  22. ChallengeWhy doesn't yibum override the ban for a betrothed widow?
  23. ResolutionA rabbinic decree: first intercourse forbidden because of the second
  24. StatementA כהן הדיוט may not marry an אילונית unless he has a wife and children
  25. Statementרבי יהודה: an אילונית is the זונה of the Torah
  26. StatementThe חכמים: only a גיורת, a משוחררת, or one who had forbidden relations is a זונה
  27. ChallengeWhy does the משנה single out a כהן?
  28. ResolutionThe first clause says כהן to match the last clause