Daf Yomi for Women - Hadran

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Yevamot 115 - June 30, 1 Tamuz Jun 30, 2022

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This month's learning is dedicated by Bracha Ollech in memory of her mother, Ruth Tager, Rachel Paya bat Feiga Baila.

This month's learning is sponsored by Joanna Rom and Steven Goldberg in loving memory of Steve's mother Shirley "Nana" Goldberg (Sura Tema bat Chaim v'Hanka) who passed away last week, just a few weeks after a rousing celebration for her 95th birthday. "Known among the Daf Zoomers for her classic Passover recipes, she will be dearly missed by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Today's daf is sponsored by Ilana Friedman in loving memory of her cousin Dvora Ita bat Harav Azriel Zev Golowa on her 10th yahrzeit. "She was a champion of justice, a staunch advocate for women's learning, and a devoted daughter, aunt and cousin.

If a woman claims that there was a war where they were and her husband died, can we believe her on the claim that if she wanted to lie, she could have omitted the fact that there was a war and would have been believed? Or do we not believe her as once we accept her claim that there was a war, we are concerned that she is just assuming he is dead (as we are generally concerned in a case of war). Two sources are brought to answer this question but both attempts are unsuccessful. A story is brought of a man who was seen burning in a house with his wife. Why is his wife not believed to say he died, even though a burned body was found there? Is one witness also not believed in a case of war? Again two sources are brought to answer the question, but they are rejected. In one of the cases, they explain that there were clear signs that they had died. Do we need to be concerned that one had items in one place but perhaps moved them and the ones that were originally there are no longer there? If one testifies that someone by the name of X died, that perhaps there were other people with that name. Rava and Abaye disagree. Each brings a proof for his opinion.

Yevamot 114 - June 29, 30 Sivan, 1st Day of Rosh Chodesh Tamuz Jun 29, 2022

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A story is told of a case where they lost the keys to the Beit Midrash and they needed to carry keys on Shabbat from the public domain in order to open the Beit Midrash. They sent children to go to that area, intending for them to notice the keys and bring them. The rabbi who suggested this must hold that the courts are not commanded to prevent minors from transgressing. The Gemara brings eleven different tannaitic sources in an attempt to support or reject this opinion, however, each source can be explained in a way that would not allow us to infer from there that the court is/is not commanded to prevent minors from transgressing. If a couple went abroad and she comes back and says he has died, under what circumstances do we believe/not believe her?

Yevamot 113 - June 28, 29 Sivan Jun 28, 2022

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Different types of marriages that have/do not have validity on a rabbinic level are compared to each other. Why is marriage with a deaf-mute considered marriage while one with a minor male is not? Why can one do mi'un from a marriage when the woman is a minor but not if she is deaf? Why can a minor eat truma if she is married to a kohen while a deaf-mute cannot? Why does a woman get a ketuba when she is a minor but not if she is a deaf-mute? Why does the wife of a deaf-mute male not get a ketuba? Two opposite versions are brought of a statement of Shmuel about whether the wife of a deaf-mute could be made to bring a guilt offering of uncertainty (if for example, she has relations with another man). If she is obligated to bring, that would show that we are uncertain if the marriage has validity on a Torah level or not. If she is not obligated, that would show that the marriage is clearly not valid on a Torah level. The Gemara attempts to either provide support or raise a difficulty with Shmuel from a Mishna in Terumot 1:1 where the truma of a deaf-mute is not considered truma at all. However, this is rejected as Rabbi Elazar disagrees and Shmuel's statement could be in accordance with that opinion. Rav Ashi raises two possibilities of how to understand how Rabbi Eliezer understands the doubt of Rabbi Eliezer regarding the deaf-mute and why his truma will be considered truma l'chumra? If one's wife became a shota, one who is not of sound mind, he can divorce her, but the rabbis forbade it so as not to allow others to take advantage of her. The Gemara establishes what type of level of shota this refers to. Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri asked why there is a difference between a deaf-mute man and woman in the case where they were competent when they married and later one became a deaf-mute - why can he not divorce his wife but she can get divorced? Which part was clear to him and which part was not? Rabbi Yochanan ben Gudgoda testified about a marriage of a deaf-mute minor whose father enacted betrothal for her and she was able to get divorced by Torah law. Rava infers from his statement that if a man were to trick his wife when giving her a get, leading her to believe he was giving her some other document, and she accepted the get without realizing what it was, it is valid if he told witnesses as he was about to give it to her that they should witness that he is divorcing his wife with this get.

Yevamot 112 - June 27, 28 Sivan Jun 27, 2022

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Today's daf is sponsored by Tina Lamm in honor of the "Tzevet Yevamot." "Their brilliant graphics, along with Rabbanit Michelle's teaching, literally saved me as we learned this difficult, but rewarding, masechet. Someone ought to design for them a graphic with a superhero cape!"

If the yabam and yevama have moved in together with the purposes of performing the mitzvah of yibum, but she then claims that he did not have relations with her, and he claims he did, who is believed? According to the Mishna it depends if it was within thirty days or beyond as there is an assumption (chazaka) that if they were together for 30 days, one can assume they had intercourse. If we believe her, then we insist that the man do chalitza to enable her to remarry. Rav explains that the case being discussed is one in which he already gave her a get and that is why we insist he perform chalitza and not insist that he do yibum with her. A braita is quoted to raise a difficulty against Rav's explanation, however, two answers are brought. Women were once believed if they made a claim why they couldn't stay married - for example, my husband is incapable of having intercourse with me" and her husband would have to divorce her and give her the ketuba money, but once they say that women had set their eyes on another man and would make claims like this to get out of the marriage while receiving their ketuba money, they changed the law and either required proof when possible or requested from the husband to divorce her, but did not force him to. What is done if she makes a vow not to have intercourse with any Jewish man? Would this vow include the yabam as well, as during her marriage he was forbidden to her anyway (as her husband's brother)? Can we find an answer to this question from our Mishna? The Mishnayot of the fourteenth chapter describes various different situations regarding a deaf-mute, minor, etc. as it relates to marriage, divorce and yibum. What if someone was competent when they got married and then became a deaf-mute or lost his/her mental capacity? What happens to the marriage - can they get divorced?

Yevamot 111 - June 26, 27 Sivan Jun 26, 2022

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This week's learning is sponsored by the congregation of Keneseth Israel, located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in honor of the retirement of Rabbi Seth Phillips.

This week's learning is sponsored by Joy Benatar in loving memory of her mother, Miriam Quint David, Malkah bat Michael v'Esther, on her sixth yahrzeit, a day before Shavuot. "A beloved wife, mother and grandmother. A passionate Jewish educator. We praise her and the works of her hands."

This week's learning is sponsored by my parents, Bob and Paula Cohen in memory of my maternal grandfather Chaim Avraham ben Alter Gershon HaKohen.

If a man was married to a minor and a deaf-mute, and died childless, yibum with one doesn't exempt the other. So what is his brother supposed to do to enable the women to remarry? Rav Chisda quoted Rav as saying that he should marry the deaf-mute and divorce her, then wait for the minor to reach maturity and do chalitza. Rav Chisda inferred from Rav's ruling that the deaf-mute is considered partially married and the minor is considered a case of doubt - either fully married or not married at all. How is that inferred and how does Rav Sheshet further prove this understanding from a different braita? They try to reject his proof by suggesting that perhaps the braita follows a minority opinion, however, this suggestion is rejected. The Mishna brings more cases where a man was married to two women who were minor or both deaf-mutes or of different unequal statuses like a minor and a mature woman, a deaf-mute and a woman who is not a deaf-mute. What is the yabam to do in these situations and is the woman permitted to remarry? Rabbi Elazar holds that when there is a minor and mature woman, we encourage the minor to do mi'un. The Gemara quotes amoraim who ruled like Rabbi Elazar. What if both the man and woman who were meant to do yibum are minors? The Mishna rules that if they have intercourse (and fulfill the mitzva of yibum), if they intend to divorce, they need to wait until they reach the age of maturity. The same holds if only the yabam is a minor. Is this Mishna not in accordance with Rabbi Meir who rules that a minor cannot do yibum as they need to be concerned that perhaps they are a saris or aylonit and therefore incapable of performing the mitzva of yibum? If the yabam claims he had intercourse with the yevama and she claims he did not, who is believed. On what does it depend?

Yevamot 110 - Shabbat June 25, 26 Sivan Jun 24, 2022

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Does Rav really hold that a minor who reaches the age of maturity and does not have intercourse with her husband, is still only married to him on a rabbinical level? It seems from another source that he holds otherwise. But that source is explained as referring also to a case where he had relations with her and on account of that her marriage became a marriage by Torah law. What is the basis for his debate with Shmuel on this topic? Why is there a need to mention their disagreement in two different places. An actual case was brought where it seems that Rav ruled they needed a divorce even thought it seems they hadn't yet had intercourse. Two explanations are brought. According to Rav Ashi, the rabbis uprooted/annulled the marriage as the husband acted in an inappropriate manner. If one married women of different statures and one is a marriage on a Torah level and one is rabbinic, can yibum with one exempt the other? It seems to be inferred from the Mishna that a deaf woman can do chalitza – but doesn't it say in a different Mishna that she cannot? One answer is that the Mishna doesn't allow for chalitza in that case. Raba brings a second answer – it is referring to a woman who was also deaf when she got married and therefore can undo the zika of that marriage (which was only rabbinic) with chalitza. Difficulties are raised against Raba from cases in the Mishna of the next chapter which seem to be referring to a woman deaf from before she was married and is not permitted to do chalitza. IF one is married to a minor and a deaf woman and they fall to yibum to the brother, each one's yibum or chalitza does not exempt the other – why?

Yevamot 109 - June 24, 25 Sivan Jun 24, 2022

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Today's daf is sponsored by Art Gould & Carol Robinson on the occasion of their 49th wedding anniversary. "We met each other at Hillel House in the summer of 1971 and have been inseparable since our very first Shabbat together. For once in his life Art knew the right thing to say - "Sit with me and I will get you a siddur."(She said yes!) We are grateful to HaShem and to Carol's medical team for bringing us to this day. And for Carol, who always knows the right thing to say and the right thing to do... רַבּ֣וֹת בָּ֭נוֹת עָ֣שׂוּ חָ֑יִל וְ֝אַ֗תְּ עָלִ֥ית עַל־כֻּלָּֽנָה"

There is a debate between Rabbi Elazar and the rabbis about a woman who remarries her husband after getting divorced - if he dies childless, can she do yibum. They have the same debate regarding a minor in this situation. If she was married off by her father and divorced, she is no longer considered under her father's responsibility (meaning that he can't marry her off), even if she is still a minor. So if the husband remarries her, all agree that there is no yibum as by Torah law, she is considered divorced, since her ability to remarry was only of rabbinical law, and one is forbidden to marry the brother of one's divorced husband. The Gemara brings four different explanations for Rabbi Elazar who forbids yibum in all the cases. According to Rabbi Elazar, the rival wife in these cases can do yibum. If two brothers are married to two minor sisters (married off by their mother or brother) or two deaf-mutes, if one dies, the other is exempt from yibum as she falls to yibum to her sister's husband. But if one sister was a minor and the deceased's wife was not a minor, what happens with yibum? Three opinions are brought in the Mishna. One suggestion is to encourage the minor to refuse him so that her sister can do yibum. The Gemara questions this with a braita that lists three actions one should pursue and three that one should avoid and refusal is listed with the actions to avoid - so how is it that we encourage this minor to refuse? An exception is made here because it is in order to allow the fulfillment of yibum. The six actions listed are discussed more in-depth. In the case where a minor's sister fell to yibum to her husband, Rabban Gamliel held that we wait until the minor gets older and then the yevama becomes exempt from yibum. Rav explains (in answer to a question from Rabbi Elazar) that the marriage of the minor becomes a Torah law marriage which will exempt the sister only when they engage in intercourse after she becomes of age. Based on this, Rabban Gamliel exempts the older sister as he must hold that one who betroths his yevama's sister, exempts the yevama. Rav Sheshet questions this assumption of Rav based on a braita but Ravin is able to explain the braita to work with Rav's understanding.

Yevamot 108 - June 23, 24 Sivan Jun 23, 2022

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What is the text that they put in a mi'un document? Why was the original text shortened? The refusal of a minor can be done in many different ways - even if the girls somehow indicates that she is not interested in being married to him, without saying it directly, she is free from her marriage. several different examples of this are brought. According to Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira if she went ahead and married someone else, that would be an indication that she did mi'un. What about betrothal to another? Do the rabbis disagree with him? Would Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira permit this kind of 'weak' refusal only if she was betrothed to the first husband or even if she was married to him? The Gemara raises all these questions. In the end, they rule like Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira even in the case where she was married to the first husband. Rabbi Eliezer doesn't consider marriage to the first husband valid at all, however, he does require mi'un. Shmuel likes his approach as he is consistent and does not consider her married at all (other than requiring mi'un). How is this different from Rabbi Yehoshua who fully considered a minor married, other than the fact that she can get out with mi'un alone - that also seems to be a mostly consistent position? The Gemara brings two different explanations for Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov's statement in the Mishna that if there is any obstruction due to the man, she is married and and obstruction not from the man, she is not married. If she does mi'un, she is permitted to his relatives and he to hers, as it as if they were never married. This differs from divorce, by which she is prohibited to his relative and he to hers. If they were married, he gave her a get, then remarried her and she did mi'un. the mi'un uproots the original marriage as well. Therefore, if she marries someone else after that and gets divorced or widowed, she can go back to the original husband, as it is if they were not married before. But if she did mi'un with one man, they got a get from the next husband, then mi'un with the next, etc. she cannot return to the man she got a get from. The Gemara assumes that the reason the mi'un in the first case, uproots the marriage entirely is because the mi'un indicated she was too young and when her mother or brother married her off, the marriage was never a real marriage. If so, then why does it only uproot her marriage with the same person and not if she was married and divorced from someone else? Shmuel says that the two parts of the Mishna reflect two different opinions. Rava distinguishes between the cases - it really should uproot the first marriage, even if it was to someone else, but for a different reason, the rabbis forbid her to return to the first husband, as they want to prevent him from trying to seduce her back while she is married to another in an attempt to get her to 'refuse' the other man. The Gemara raises another contradiction in the Mishna. Rabbi Elazar says that the two parts of the Mishna reflect two different opinions. Ulla distinguishes between the cases. Where do we find two different opinions regarding this issue, as stated by Rabbi Elazar? A story is told of how they brought this question to be asked to Rabbi Akiva when he was jailed by the Romans.

Yevamot 107 - June 22, 23 Sivan Jun 22, 2022

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Today's daf is sponsored by Suri Stern in honor of her son's, Yosef Yeshaya's, marriage yesterday to Rivkah Cohen. "May they be zocheh to build a bayit neeman b'yisrael, a binyan adei ad."

Beit Shamai and Beit Hillel disagree regarding mi'un (refusal) on five different issues: Can a girl only do mi'un only from engagement or also from marriage? Can she "refuse" the yabam also if her husband dies? Does it need to be done in her husband's presence? It is necessary to do it in a court? Can she do it to several different husbands or only one? Four different explanations are brought to explain why Beit Shamai holds that one cannot do mi'un after marriage. Is it due to concern that one may think one can do a marriage upon condition? Or because one does not want to engage in intercourse when in the end it will turn out to be znut, as they will retroactively not be married if she refuses him. Or because if he knows she may refuse him, he may use up even part of the principle of her assets she brings into the marriage. Or because he will not want to marry her out of concern that all the expenses on the wedding feast will go to waste if she later refuses. According to Beit Hillel, she can also do mi'un to the yabam. Rabbi Oshaya and Ulla disagree about whether her mi'un to a yabam can undo the zika or can only undo ma'amar. The reasoning behind each approach is explained and a difficulty is raised against each but is resolved. There is a three-way debate regarding the ramifications of refusing her yabam - is she forbidden now to do yibum with him, forbidden also to all the brothers, or permitted even to him? What is the reason behind each approach? Beit Hillel brings an actual case of Pishon the camel driver, who was refused not in his presence in order to disprove Beit Shamai's opinion. But they explain that he dealt with her inappropriately and therefore the rabbis were permitted to deal with him inappropriately and permit refusal even not in his presence. Regarding the debate about whether or not a court is required, what exactly are the different opinions? There is a debate regarding how to understand the last line in the Mishna regarding Beit Shamai's opinion about whether she refuses once, when can she remarry and what does she need to do before she remarries.

Yevamot 106 - June 21, 22 Sivan Jun 21, 2022

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Today's daf is sponsored by Sara Berelowitz "Thank you to Rabbanit Michelle and all my chevrutot on the 7:15 zoom who teach, inspire and make me laugh. Hadran Daf Yomi is the anchor of my day. I am very thankful to you all."

A mistaken chalitza is valid. What is this mistaken chalitza? It is a case where he was promised that if he does chalitza with her, she will give him money, but in the end, she does not give him the money. This tactic was used to try to encourage men who were resistant to doing chalitza to go ahead with it, but in the end, the women would not have to pay the money. However, if he was told, "do chalitza and with that, you will be married to her," that is invalid. However, rabbis used this as well when the man insisted on doing yibum and the woman did not want to, they would tell him to do chalitza in order to marry her. This action would preclude him from being able to marry her (as it is chalitza l'chumra) and then he would have to do a proper chalitza. Rav Papa's sister-in-law needed chalitza and the case came before Abaye. Abaye and Rav Papa engage in a back and forth argument as to what is permitted to do in order to get him to do chalitza. In the end, Rav Papa thinks that she can commit to giving him money, but doesn't need to follow through with the payment as she can claim that she never really meant it, as is found as a legitimate claim in other cases. Abaye was jealous of Rav Papa's brilliance and caused the death of his parents with his jealously. One can also coerce a man to do chalitza as long as in the end he does it willingly, as is the case with a get. However, if a condition is not met in a get, the get is invalid, unlike chalitza. Can you do chalitza without checking that she is the yevama and he is the yabam? And if so, then one cannot write a receipt that the ceremony was done, as they may rely on that document without properly checking that she was really the yevama and he was the yabam. If one requires the courts to check into their identity before doing chalitza, then one can write a receipt for the chalitza. The same holds true for mi'un. What are the different stages of the chalitza ceremony? Who says and does what? In what order? The order is important, but if the order was switched, it is still valid. The recitation was done by having someone say the words and the yabam and yevama would repeat after them. One needs to be careful not to take a break in between certain words so as not to give the impression that one is saying the opposite of what should be said. If, for example, one stopped after the word "no" and then continued after with the rest of the sentence, one may think the word no was part of the previous statement. Does one really need to be so careful about this? It is a subject of debate. Can you write the words from the Torah that were recited at the ceremony in the document that testifies to the fact that chalitza was performed or is there an issue with writing a section of the Torah not as part of a whole Torah? If one is not concerned with this issue and permits it to be written, one must make sure the parchment has sirtut, lines. A number of details regarding the spitting are discussed. What if the saliva blows away? What if the saliva came from food she had eaten? The saliva needs to be seen by the judges. Who needs to call out "And his name shall be called the one whose shoe was taken off" - the judges or the students who are watching? There is a tannaitic debate regarding this issue.

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