Yevamos 79b

יבמות ע״ט ע״ב

Yevamot 79b

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Topic

The נתינים, and when a סריס or איילונית is part of יבום and חליצה

Overview

The amud opens by finishing the topic of the נתינים. רבי refused to permit them, because even if we give up our share in them, no one can give up the מזבח's share. רבי יוחנן holds the reverse. Then a new משנה begins: רבי יהושע heard two traditions, that a סריס does חליצה and that he does not. רבי עקיבא explains that a סריס אדם, who was once fertile, does חליצה, while a סריס חמה does not. רבי אליעזר says the opposite. The משנה adds that a סריס and an איילונית have no יבום or חליצה, and that relations with them count as בעילת זנות. The גמרא asks how רבי עקיבא can allow a סריס אדם to do חליצה, since he treats a לאו like כרת. After the answers of רבי אמי and רבה are rejected, רב יוסף explains that for רבי עקיבא's school only לאוין of close relatives cancel a marriage. רבא then proves that fitness from an earlier time counts for ייבום, and the amud ends by beginning to define a סריס חמה.

Opening lines

The steps (25)

1. Statementרבי refuses to permit the Gibeonites
2. Statementרבי יוחנן holds the reverse view
3. Statementרבי יהושע's two conflicting traditions about a eunuch
4. Resolutionרבי עקיבא: man-made eunuch versus eunuch from birth
5. Statementרבי אליעזר reverses רבי עקיבא's distinction
6. ProofTestimony about בן מגוסת supports רבי עקיבא
7. StatementA סריס and an איילונית do neither חליצה nor יבום
8. StatementTheir חליצה does not disqualify her, but their relations do
9. ChallengeHow can a סריס אדם do חליצה if רבי עקיבא treats a לאו like כרת?
10. ResolutionThe case is where the brother married a convert
11. ChallengeThen he should be able to do full ייבום too
12. ResolutionYes, he can do ייבום. רבי עקיבא just matched רבי יהושע's wording
13. ProofThe משנה's wording proves ייבום was allowed
14. Challengeרבה's objection from a teaching about injured men
15. ResolutionThe man was injured only after the יבמה fell to him
16. Challengeאביי: the later prohibition should push away the ייבום
17. Proofאביי begins a proof from רבן גמליאל's ruling
18. ProofEnd of the משנה: a wife's sister pushes aside ייבום
19. ChallengeSo the injury prohibition should also push aside ייבום
20. Resolutionרב יוסף: This תנא follows the school of רבי עקיבא
21. ChallengeHe can't 'establish a name for his brother'
22. Resolutionרבא: Then no woman could ever have ייבום
23. Challengeרבא's argument seems to refute רבי אליעזר
24. ResolutionA dying man only has weakness that has set in
25. QuestionWhat counts as a natural-born eunuch