Gemara Clarity

Yevamos 9b

יבמות ט׳ ע״ב

Yevamot 9b

Learn Yevamos 9b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Yevamos 9b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Does our משנה include disputed cases? רבי שמעון on אשת אחיו שלא היה בעולמו, and how far רב's 'in all of them' reaches

Overview

Our משנה lists fifteen women who exempt their co-wives from יבום, and the גמרא is checking whether that list includes only cases everyone agrees on. First it points to אשת אחיו שלא היה בעולמו, a case רבי שמעון and רבנן argue about. It answers that when the younger brother was born before the יבום, even רבי שמעון agrees. A statement of רבי אושעיא saying otherwise is pushed aside because it was already refuted. Then the גמרא brings רב's rule: in all the cases of the משנה, you can set up two sisters where each is forbidden to one brother but permitted to the other. רב יהודה says this works only from חמותו onward, since the first six cases need אונס and the משנה deals with marriage. אביי includes even a daughter born through אונס, but leaves out אשת אחיו שלא היה בעולמו, because that setup only works according to רבי שמעון. רב ספרא includes even that case, building it with six brothers according to רבי שמעון.

Opening lines

דִּפְלִיגִי רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְרַבָּנַן, וְקָתָנֵי!

Where Rabbi Shimon and the Rabbis disagree, and yet it is taught!

בְּנוֹלַד וּלְבַסּוֹף יִיבֵּם —

Where he was born and afterward [the other brother] did yibum —

לָא פְּלִיג רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן.

Rabbi Shimon does not disagree.

וְהָאָמַר רַבִּי אוֹשַׁעְיָא:

But didn't Rabbi Oshaya say:

The steps (12)

  1. ChallengeFinishing the challenge: a disputed case is taught in the משנה
  2. ResolutionIn the case where he was born before the יבום, רבי שמעון agrees
  3. Challengeרבי אושעיא says רבי שמעון argued even in the first case
  4. Rejectionרבי אושעיא's statement was refuted
  5. Challengeרב's rule: in all the cases, each sister is forbidden to one brother and permitted to the other
  6. Statementרב יהודה limits the rule to cases from mother-in-law onward
  7. QuestionWhy not the first six cases?
  8. ResponseThe daughter case only works through אונס, but the משנה deals with marriage
  9. Statementאביי includes even a daughter born through rape
  10. QuestionWhy does אביי leave out the brother's wife?
  11. ResponseThat case only works according to רבי שמעון
  12. Statementרב ספרא includes even the brother's wife