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Yevamos 61b

יבמות ס״א ע״ב

Yevamot 61b

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

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Topic

Why a כהן may not marry an אילונית or a קטנה, and how many children fulfill פריה ורביה

Overview

The גמרא explains that the משנה says 'a כהן' only because רבי יהודה calls an אילונית a זונה, and רב הונא gives the פסוק behind that view. A ברייתא then brings רבי אליעזר's ruling that a כהן may not marry a קטנה. רבה explains that רבי אליעזר combines רבי מאיר's worry about the minority with רבי יהודה's view, but the גמרא challenges both halves from other ברייתות. רב אדא בר אהבה says the ruling is about a כהן גדול, and רבא rejects this. רבא instead explains that any כהן is affected, because a young wife might be seduced, which for a minor counts as אונס. רב פפא and רב נחמן בר יצחק each tie the ruling to a ברייתא teaching that a כהן גדול must marry a נערה. רב עמרם rules against רבי אלעזר's strict view of who is a זונה. A new משנה then teaches how many children fulfill פריה ורביה, and the גמרא discusses whether a man with children must still have a wife and why בית שמאי learn from משה; that answer continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וְיֵשׁ לוֹ בָּנִים —

and he has children —

לֹא יִשָּׂא אַיְלוֹנִית,

he may not marry a woman who cannot bear children,

שֶׁהִיא זוֹנָה הָאֲמוּרָה בַּתּוֹרָה.

for she is the zonah stated in the Torah.

דְּאַזּוֹנָה כֹּהֲנִים הוּא דְּמִפַּקְדִי

And it is priests who were commanded about a zonah,

The steps (34)

  1. ResolutionWhy the משנה says 'a כהן'
  2. ProofThe פסוק behind רבי יהודה's view
  3. Statementרבי אליעזר: a כהן may not marry a minor girl
  4. Questionרב חסדא sends רבה to work out the reason
  5. Responseרבה's answer: רבי אליעזר holds like רבי מאיר and רבי יהודה
  6. ResponseHow the two views combine
  7. ChallengeDoes רבי אליעזר really hold like רבי מאיר?
  8. Responseרבי מאיר explains: the minor might turn out unable to have children
  9. Challengeרבי אליעזר allows a girl minor to do יבום
  10. ChallengeDoes רבי אליעזר really hold like רבי יהודה?
  11. ChallengeMore definitions of זונה, including רבי יהודה's אילונית view
  12. Resolutionרב אדא בר אהבה: it is about a כהן גדול
  13. Challengeרבא rejects רב אדא בר אהבה's explanation
  14. Resolutionרבא: any כהן, out of worry she will be seduced
  15. ChallengeThen the same worry should apply to a ישראל
  16. ResolutionSeducing a minor counts as אונס
  17. Resolutionרב פפא: a כהן גדול, following a specific תנא
  18. ProofThe ברייתא: a כהן גדול marries a נערה
  19. Resolutionרב נחמן בר יצחק gives another way to explain רבי אליעזר
  20. ProofThe ברייתא: בתולה means a נערה
  21. Statementרבי אלעזר: relations outside marriage make a woman a זונה
  22. Conclusionרב עמרם: the הלכה does not follow רבי אלעזר
  23. StatementThe משנה: when a man may stop trying to have children
  24. StatementThe גמרא reads the משנה closely: he still needs a wife
  25. ProofThis supports רב נחמן in the name of שמואל
  26. StatementA second version: with children, he may stop having a wife
  27. ChallengeDoes this refute רב נחמן?
  28. ResolutionWith children, he may marry a woman who cannot bear children
  29. StatementThe practical difference: selling a ספר תורה
  30. QuestionWhat is בית שמאי's source for two males?
  31. Responseבית שמאי learn from משה's two sons
  32. Responseבית הלל learn from the creation of the world
  33. ChallengeWhy don't בית שמאי also learn from creation?
  34. ResolutionWe do not learn what is possible from what was impossible