Yevamos 96a

יבמות צ״ו ע״א

Yevamot 96a

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Topic

The end of the רב–שמואל discussion about a שומרת יבם; a man who married a chain of half-sisters after false death reports; and the power of a nine-year-old יבם's ביאה, מאמר and גט

Overview

The גמרא finishes settling an apparent contradiction in שמואל's views. It offers several answers. Maybe שמואל agreed with רבי יוסי only on one point. Or maybe the dispute between רב and שמואל about a שומרת יבם being 'like an אשת איש' is about רב המנונא's rule on זנות, or about whether an outsider's קידושין take effect with her. Then a new משנה presents a man who heard false reports that his wife died and married her half-sisters one after another. It rules which of the women are his valid wives, and it explains how the answer flips if the first wife really did die. A second משנה teaches that a nine-year-old יבם and his adult brothers can each block the other from the יבמה. The גמרא works out that the boy's ביאה blocks his brothers even when it comes last, while his מאמר blocks only when it comes first. Finally, sources show that the boy also has a גט and a מאמר, and רב הונא בריה דרב יהושע explains that the boy's גט is real but weaker than an adult's.

Opening lines

The steps (25)

1. ResolutionMaybe שמואל agreed only with the 'does not disqualify' ruling
2. ResolutionAnother answer: drop רב הונא's explanation and use רב המנונא's rule
3. StatementHow רב and שמואל line up on רב המנונא's rule
4. ResolutionA third option: they argue whether קידושין take effect with a יבמה
5. ChallengeBut they already argued about that once
6. ResolutionOne dispute was inferred from the other
7. StatementNew משנה: a man who married a chain of half-sisters after false death reports
8. StatementThe second and fourth sisters are forbidden
9. StatementA second version: the first wife really died
10. StatementNew משנה: a nine-year-old and his brothers block each other
11. StatementHow the blocking works in practice
12. ChallengeWhy does the משנה say 'after the first wife died'?
13. ResolutionIt means her death was certain
14. ChallengeA ברייתא shows the boy blocks even when he acts second
15. ResolutionRelations block even second, מאמר blocks only first
16. ChallengeBut the משנה's own example is relations
17. ResolutionThe משנה is missing words
18. ChallengeDoes the boy even have מאמר?
19. ResolutionThe ברייתא lists only rules that have no conditions
20. Proofאמוראים confirm the boy has גט and מאמר
21. ProofA ברייתא of רבי מאיר says the same
22. ChallengeDoes רבי מאיר really say the boy has a גט?
23. ResolutionThe boy's גט counts, but it is weaker
24. ResolutionAccording to רבן גמליאל, an adult's גט still works after a boy's גט
25. ResolutionAccording to רבנן, a boy's גט does not work after an adult's גט