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Yevamos 96b

יבמות צ״ו ע״ב

Yevamot 96b

Learn Yevamos 96b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

A nine-year-old יבם's ביאה and whether it counts like a מאמר, plus the story of רבי יוחנן and his student רבי אלעזר

Overview

The amud has two משניות about a boy of nine years and one day who has relations with his יבמה. The first משנה rules that a second act, by his brother or with her צרה, disqualifies her. רבי שמעון disagrees, arguing that a nine-year-old's ביאה is either complete or worthless. The חכמים treat it like a מאמר, and the גמרא notes that this does not fit בן עזאי. The second משנה rules that if such a boy dies, his יבמה does only חליצה, and his ordinary wife is exempt. If he grew up and married another woman, she may do יבום. רבא learns from the first case that a woman tied by two יבמין cannot do יבום even with no צרה. רב and שמואל (with רבי יוחנן) argue whether a nine-year-old's ביאה is like a מאמר, and the גמרא explains the משנה as one side of a תנאים dispute about a decree because of the צרה. The amud ends with a story: רבי אלעזר taught רבי יוחנן's ruling without naming him, and others tried to calm רבי יוחנן. The גמרא then begins explaining why he cared so much, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

מַתְנִי׳ בֶּן תֵּשַׁע שָׁנִים וְיוֹם אֶחָד

MISHNA: A boy nine years and one day old

שֶׁבָּא עַל יְבִמְתּוֹ,

who had relations with his yevama,

וְאַחַר כָּךְ בָּא עָלֶיהָ אָחִיו

and afterward his brother had relations with her,

שֶׁהוּא בֶּן תֵּשַׁע שָׁנִים וְיוֹם אֶחָד —

who is also nine years and one day old,

The steps (33)

  1. StatementTwo nine-year-old brothers with the same יבמה
  2. StatementOne nine-year-old with the יבמה and then her co-wife
  3. Statementרבי שמעון explains his reasoning
  4. StatementThe משנה does not follow בן עזאי
  5. ConclusionWhere בן עזאי and the משנה split
  6. StatementA nine-year-old who had relations with his יבמה and died
  7. StatementHe grew up and married another woman, then died
  8. Statementרבי שמעון treats both women as full wives
  9. StatementA twenty-year-old without signs of puberty is treated the same
  10. Statementרבא: the two-brothers rule is not only because of a צרה
  11. ProofProof from the משנה's first case, which has no צרה
  12. StatementThe משנה's ruling matches a known ברייתא
  13. ChallengeWhy not treat a nine-year-old's relations like an adult's betrothal?
  14. Resolutionרב: A nine-year-old's relations are not like an adult's betrothal
  15. Statementשמואל and רבי יוחנן: They certainly did
  16. ChallengeThen the second wife should not do יבום
  17. ResolutionIt is a dispute between תנאים
  18. ResolutionThat תנא spoke of an adult, but a minor is the same
  19. ResolutionOur משנה's תנא holds the relations count and made no decree
  20. ResolutionWhy our משנה mentions a minor
  21. Statementרבי אלעזר teaches without naming רבי יוחנן
  22. Statementרבי אמי and רבי אסי tell the Tiberias story
  23. ChallengeCould great sages really tear a ספר תורה?
  24. ResolutionRead it as 'a ספר תורה was torn'
  25. Statementרבי יוסי בן קיסמא's grim prediction
  26. Statementרבי יוחנן becomes even angrier
  27. Statementרבי יעקב בר אידי quotes a פסוק about משה and יהושע
  28. QuestionDid יהושע name משה every time he taught?
  29. ResponseEveryone knows where the Torah came from
  30. Statementרבי יוחנן praises בן אידי's approach
  31. QuestionWhy was רבי יוחנן so upset?
  32. Responseרב asks how a person can live in two worlds
  33. StatementDavid begins his request to God