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Yoma 13b

יומא י״ג ע״ב

Learn Yoma 13b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Setting up a backup wife for the כהן גדול without two 'houses', challenges from יבום, and the כהן גדול who is an אונן

Overview

The תורה says the כהן גדול atones on יום הכפורים 'for his house' (ביתו), meaning his wife. ביתו implies one wife, not two and not zero. So the גמרא searches for a way to prepare a backup wife without breaking that rule. It tests several conditional-divorce (גט על תנאי) setups. Each one fails, because it could leave him with two wives or with none. The working setup gives the second wife a גט that depends on the כהן גדול himself entering the בית הכנסת. That way he can act in time if the other wife is about to die. רב אסי then objects that if 'house' means one wife, two widows of one man could never do יבום, and רבינא objects that a ארוסה would be exempt from יבום. Both are answered from extra words in the יבום verses: 'יבמתו' repeated, and 'החוצה'. The גמרא then quotes a ברייתא: a כהן גדול may serve while an אונן but may not eat, and רבי יהודה adds 'כל היום'. רבא explains that this means we bring him from his house to serve. אביי refutes this from רבי יהודה's strict ruling elsewhere, and רבא begins a new explanation that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

לְמַפְרֵעַ דְּגִיטָּא דְּהָא לָאו גִּיטָּא הוּא,

retroactively, that the divorce of this one is not a divorce,

וְעָבֵיד לֵיהּ עֲבוֹדָה בִּשְׁנֵי בָתִּים!

and he performed the service with two houses!

אֶלָּא, דְּאָמַר לַהּ:

Rather, it is where he said to her:

הֲרֵי זֶה גִּיטֵּיךְ עַל מְנָת שֶׁתָּמוּת חֲבֶרְתִּיךְ.

Here is your divorce, on condition that your counterpart dies.

The steps (17)

  1. ChallengeThe previous setup could leave him with two wives
  2. ResolutionDivorce the backup on condition that the first wife dies
  3. ChallengeThat could leave him with no wife at all
  4. ResolutionDivorce both wives with different conditions
  5. ChallengeBoth conditions might be kept, leaving no wife
  6. ResolutionThe working setup: the second condition depends on the כהן גדול himself
  7. ChallengeWhat if wife B dies in the middle of the service?
  8. ResolutionHe enters the בית הכנסת in time to divorce the dying wife
  9. Challengeרב אסי: then two widows from one house could never do יבום
  10. ResolutionThe double word "יבמתו" includes the case of two widows
  11. ChallengeIf a ארוסה is not 'his house', would she be exempt from יבום?
  12. ResolutionThe word 'החוצה' includes the ארוסה
  13. StatementA כהן גדול may offer קרבנות as an אונן but not eat
  14. QuestionWhat does 'the entire day' mean?
  15. Responseרבא: we even bring him from his house to serve
  16. Challengeאביי: רבי יהודה actually sends a mourning priest out
  17. Resolutionרבא withdraws and begins a new explanation