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Yevamos 84b

יבמות פ״ד ע״ב

Yevamot 84b

Learn Yevamos 84b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Yevamos 84b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Why the משנה says אלמנה, רב פפא's challenge from רבי יוחנן's מצרי rule (answered with תנא ושייר), and רב's ruling that fit women may marry disqualified men

Overview

This amud covers three topics. First, the גמרא explains why the משנה's first case speaks of an אלמנה: the word is borrowed from the סיפא, where a כהן גדול marrying an אלמנה makes her a חללה, so she is forbidden even to a כהן הדיוט brother. Next, רב פפא challenges the משנה. רבי יוחנן ruled that the son of a מצרי שני and a מצרית ראשונה is a מצרי שני, and that rule produces a new set of cases that the משנה should have listed. The גמרא answers תנא ושייר: the משנה did not list every case. After a long back-and-forth, it proves this by showing that פצוע דכא was also left out. Finally, the גמרא turns to רב's ruling that women fit for כהונה were not warned against marrying disqualified men. A suggested proof from the משנה's word 'fit' is rejected. רבא answers רבין בר נחמן's objection from 'they shall not take': a woman is forbidden only where the man is forbidden. The amud ends by explaining why the כהונה prohibitions need their own source to include women.

Opening lines

וְכִי תֵּימָא:

And if you would say

קָסָבַר הַאי תַּנָּא

that this tanna holds

נִישּׂוּאִין הָרִאשׁוֹנִים מַפִּילִין —

that the first marriage is what determines her status when she falls to yibum

הֲרֵי חָלָל שֶׁנָּשָׂא כְּשֵׁרָה,

but look, a ḥalal who married a woman fit for a priest

The steps (24)

  1. RejectionRejecting the idea that the first marriage decides her status
  2. ResolutionWidow was chosen because of the later clause
  3. Challengeרב פפא's challenge built on רבי יוחנן's rule
  4. ChallengeThe Egyptian case the משנה should have taught
  5. ChallengeThe Egyptian case gives all four outcomes
  6. ResolutionThe תנא taught some cases and left some out
  7. QuestionWhat else was left out?
  8. ResponseHe left out פצוע דכא
  9. Challengeפצוע דכא is already covered by חייבי לאוין
  10. ResolutionThe משנה lists לאו cases anyway
  11. RejectionThe specific case was needed to teach רב's ruling
  12. ChallengeMore specific cases in the משנה
  13. ResolutionEach case teaches a different kind of prohibition
  14. ChallengeA case that really is a repeat
  15. ConclusionConclusion: the משנה taught some cases and left others out
  16. StatementBack to רב's ruling about fit women
  17. ProofA suggested proof from the חלל case
  18. RejectionMaybe 'fit' means a regular Jewish woman
  19. ChallengeThe 'fit brother' shows 'fit' means fit for כהונה
  20. RejectionEach 'fit' can be read in its own way
  21. ChallengeA ברייתא says the woman is warned through the man
  22. ResolutionThe woman is warned only where the man is warned
  23. ChallengeWhy is a special source needed for the woman?
  24. ResolutionThe general rule covers only prohibitions that apply to everyone