Shulchan Aruch, Even HaEzer Siman 156

Siman 156

Presented here for study, not as a practical ruling. The Shulchan Aruch rules by Sephardi custom, the Rema's glosses by Ashkenazi custom, and the Kitzur follows Ashkenazi custom. For a practical question, ask your rabbi.

א מִי שֶׁמֵּת אָחִיו מֵאָבִיו וְלֹא הִנִּיחַ זֶרַע, מִצְוָה לְיַבֵּם אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ, בֵּין שֶׁהִיא אִשְׁתּוֹ מִן הַנִּשּׂוּאִין בֵּין שֶׁהִיא אִשְׁתּוֹ מֵהָאֵרוּסִין, דִּכְתִיב: "כִּי יֵשְׁבוּ אַחִים יַחְדָּו וּמֵת אֶחָד מֵהֶם וּבֵן אֵין לוֹ יְבָמָהּ יָבֹא עָלֶיהָ" (דְּבָרִים כה, ה):

1 Someone whose brother by his father died and did not leave descendants, it is a commandment to perform levirate marriage with his wife, whether she is his wife from marriage or his wife from betrothal, as it is written: "When brothers dwell together and one of them dies and has no son, her yavam shall go in unto her" (Devarim 25:5)

ב זֶה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בַּתּוֹרָה: "וּבֵן אֵין לוֹ" (דְּבָרִים כה, ה), אֶחָד הַבֵּן וְאֶחָד הַבַּת, אוֹ זֶרַע הַבֵּן אוֹ זֶרַע הַבַּת, עַד סוֹף כָּל הַדּוֹרוֹת, בֵּין מֵאִשָּׁה זוֹ בֵּין מֵאִשָּׁה אַחֶרֶת, אֲפִלּוּ הָיָה לוֹ זֶרַע מַמְזֵר אוֹ ע" א, הֲרֵי זֶה פּוֹטֵר אֶת נָשָׁיו מִן הַחֲלִיצָה וּמִן הַיִּבּוּם. אֲבָל בְּנוֹ מֵהַשִּׁפְחָה אוֹ מֵהַנָכְרִית, אֵינוֹ פּוֹטֵר אֲפִלּוּ נִתְגַּיֵּר אוֹ נִשְׁתַּחְרֵר הַבֵּן (הָרַמְבַּ"ם פ"א מֵהִלְכוֹת יִבּוּם וַחֲלִיצָה). וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּהָנֵי מִלֵּי בְּנוֹ מִשִּׁפְחָה אַחֶרֶת, אֲבָל בְּנוֹ מִשִּׁפְחָתוֹ, פּוֹטֵר:

2 It says in the Torah: "And a son is not to him" (Deuteronomy 25:5 is discussing when somebody does yibbum) one son and one daughter, or the seed of a son and the seed of a daughter, until the end of the generation, between this woman to another. Even if it was a seed for a bastard. Behold these exempt a wife from doing chalitza and yibbum. But his sons with a slave or a non-jew don't exempt (yibbum and chalitza), even if the son (of the slave or non-jew) is converted to freed (rambam perk 1 hilchot yibbum and chalitza). And there are people who say that the son of another (not his) female slave counts, but his female slaves son doesn't count to exempt.

ג אֲפִלּוּ הָיָה הַזֶּרַע גּוֹסֵס אוֹ פָּצוּעַ מִמַּכּוֹת שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹ לִחְיוֹת, פּוֹטֵר:

3 Even if there is a child that is dying or injured [so badly] from lashes that it is impossible for him to live, he is covered.

ד מִי שֶׁמֵּת וְהִנִּיחַ אִשְׁתּוֹ מְעֻבֶּרֶת, אִם הִפִּילָה, הֲרֵי זוֹ תִּתְיַבֵּם. וְאִם יָלְדָה וְיָצָא הַוָּלָד חַי לַאֲוִיר הָעוֹלָם, אֲפִלּוּ מֵת בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁנּוֹלַד, הֲרֵי אִמּוֹ פְּטוּרָה מֵהַחֲלִיצָה וּמִן הַיִּבּוּם. אֲבָל מִדִּבְרֵי סוֹפְרִים, עַד שֶׁיִּוָּדַע בְּוַדַּאי שֶׁכָּלוּ לוֹ חֳדָשָׁיו וְנוֹלַד לְתִשְׁעָה חֳדָשִׁים גְּמוּרִים. הַגָּה: יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּבַזְּמַן הַזֶּה אֲפִלּוּ לֹא נִכְנְסָה בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַתְּשִׁיעִי רַק יוֹם אֶחָד מִלְּבַד יוֹם שֶׁנִּתְעַבְּרָה בּוֹ, הָוֵי וְלַד קְיָמָא. וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאָמְרִינָן בַּגְמָרָא יוֹלֶדֶת לְתִשְׁעָה אֵינָהּ יוֹלֶדֶת לִמְקֻטָּעִין, כְּבָר תָּמְהוּ עַל זֶה רַבִּים שֶׁהַחוּשׁ מַכְחִישׁ זֶה, אֶלָּא שֶׁאָנוּ צְרִיכִין לוֹמַר שֶׁעַכְשָׁיו נִשְׁתַּנָּה הָעִנְיָן, וְכֵן הוּא בְּכַמָּה דְּבָרִים (ב"י בְּשֵׁם הַרשב"ץ). מִיהוּ, חָדְשֵׁי הָעִבּוּר כָּל אֶחָד שְׁלשִׁים יוֹם, וְלֹא חַשְׁבִינָן לְהוּ כְּסֵדֶר הַשָּׁנִים (כֵּן מַשְׁמָע שָׁם). אֲבָל אִם לֹא נוֹדַע לְכַמָּה נוֹלַד, אִם חָיָה ל' יוֹם, הֲרֵי זֶה וְלַד קְיָמָא וּפוֹטֵר נְשֵׁי אָבִיו מֵהַחֲלִיצָה וּמֵהַיִּבּוּם. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דַּוְקָא שֶׁגָּמְרוּ שְׂעָרָיו וְצִפָּרְנָיו (טוּר), וְכֵן נִרְאֶה לִי. וְאִם מֵת בְּתוֹךְ שְׁלשִׁים, אֲפִלּוּ בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלשִׁים, בֵּין שֶׁמֵּת מֵחֹלִי בֵּין שֶׁנָּפַל מֵהַגַּג אוֹ אֲכָלוֹ אֲרִי, הֲרֵי זוֹ סְפֵק נֵפֶל סָפֵק בֶּן קְיָמָא, וּצְרִיכָה חֲלִיצָה מִדִּבְרֵי סוֹפְרִים, אֲבָל לֹא תִּתְיַבֵּם. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דַּאֲפִלּוּ אִם נוֹלַד מֵת, וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם יֵשׁ לְהִסְתַּפֵּק שֶׁכָּלוּ חֳדָשָׁיו, חוֹלֶצֶת וְלֹא מִתְיַבֶּמֶת (טוּר בְּשֵׁם הָר"פ):

4 If one died and left behind a pregnant wife: If she has a miscarriage, she becomes someone who needs to do yibbum. If she gives birth, and the fetus emerges alive into the world, even should it die in the hour after it was born, its mother is exempt from chalitza and from yibbum. But on a rabbinic level, [we require] that until it is known for certain that it can live out the month, and that it was born after nine full months. Rema: Some say that nowadays, even if it only entered the ninth month of pregnancy by just one day, it is considered a viable fetus. And even though we say in the Talmud that a pregnant woman for nine months cannot be a "pieced" pregnancy [i.e. eight months and a day, for it will die], many have already asked about this how empirical evidence contradicts this. Rather we must say that now, the matter has changed, and similarly for many things (Bet Yosef in the name of the Rshbetz). However, the months of pregnancy are each 30 days, and we don't count them like we count the year [some months 30 days, some months 31, some 29] (so implied ibid.). But if it is not known how long it was born for, if it lives for 30 days, that is considered a viable fetus and the wives of its father are exempt from chalitza and yibbum. Rema: And some say only when its hair and fingers grow in (Tur). And so it seems to me. And if it dies within 30 days, even on the 30th day, whether it died from disease, whether it fell off the roof or a lion ate it, that is considered a doubt either a fetal death or a viable fetus, and she needs to do chalitza on a rabbinic level, but not yibbum. Rema: And some say even if it was born dead, and even if there is what to doubt it would live out the month, she does chalitza and not yibbum (Tur in the name of the R"P).

ה אִם אֵין יָדוּעַ שֶׁכָּלוּ לוֹ חֳדָשָׁיו אֶלָּא עַל פִּיהָ, אֵינָהּ נֶאֱמֶנֶת. יְבָמָה שֶׁנִּשֵּׂאת לַשּׁוּק, וְעֵדִים מְעִידִים שֶׁהַוָּלָד שֶׁיָּלְדָה אַחַר מוֹת בַּעְלָהּ חָיָה שְׁלשִׁים יוֹם, וְעֵדִים אֲחֵרִים מַכְחִישִׁין וְאוֹמְרִים שֶׁלֹּא חָיָה שְׁלשִׁים יוֹם, מֻתֶּרֶת לְבַעְלָהּ וְאֵינָה צְרִיכָה חֲלִיצָה. וְאִם אֵין עֵדִים מְעִידִים שֶׁחָיָה ל' יוֹם, וְגַם אֵין עֵדוּת בְּרוּרָה שֶׁלֹּא חָיָה ל' יוֹם, אֶלָּא קוֹל לַעַז, לֹא אָסְרִינָן לַהּ בְּקָלָא דְּבָתַר נִשּׂוּאִין:

5 If they only know that he came to full term by her word, she is not believed. [If] a yibbum woman who went to the marketplace and got married, and witnesses testify that the fetus she gave birth to after her husband died lived for thirty days, and other witnesses contradict them and say that it did not live for thirty days, she is permitted to her [new] husband and she is not required to do chalitza. And if there are no witnesses that testify that it lived for thirty days, and there is no clear testimony that it did not live thirty days, but there is a pernicious rumor, we do not prohibit her based on a rumor after the marriage.

ו הָאוֹמֵר: זֶה בְּנִי אוֹ יֵשׁ לִי בָּנִים, נֶאֱמָן לִפְטֹר אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ, אֲפִלּוּ הֻחְזַק בְּאַחִים. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁאִם יֵשׁ עֵדִים שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ אַחִים, אֵינוֹ נֶאֱמָן אַחַר כָּךְ לוֹמַר שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ בָּנִים:

6 One who says, "That is my son," or "I have sons," he is believed to exempt his wife [from yibbum or chalitza should he die], even if he is assumed to have brothers. Some say that if there are witnesses that he has brothers, he is not believed afterwards to say that he has sons.

ז אָמַר בִּשְׁעַת קִדּוּשִׁין אוֹ אַחַר כָּךְ, (כֵּן מַשְׁמַע מֵהָרַ"ן), יֵשׁ לִי בָּנִים וּבִשְׁעַת מִיתָה אָמַר: אֵין לִי בָּנִים, אֵינוֹ נֶאֱמָן לְאָסְרָהּ. וְיֵשׁ מִי שֶׁאוֹמֵר שֶׁחוֹלֶצֶת וְלֹא מִתְיַבֶּמֶת:

7 If he says at the point of kiddushin [quasi-married but not yet consummated] ( Rema: Or after that (so inferred from the Ran)) "I have sons,", he is not believed to prohibit her [from remarrying]. Some say that she does chalitza but not yibbum.

ח נֶאֱמָן עֵד אֶחָד לְהָעִיד שֶׁנִּתַּן לְבַעְלָהּ בֵּן, לְהַתִּירָהּ לְזָר. וְיֵשׁ חוֹלְקִין (בַּב"י מִשֵּׁם הָרַאֲבַ"ד וְהָרֹא"שׁ):

8 One witness is believed to testify that she gave her husband a child, so that she can be permitted to a non-kohen. Rema: Some disagree. (Bet Yosef in the name of the Raavad and the Rosh)

ט מִי שֶׁזִּנָּה עִם אִשָּׁה, בֵּין פְּנוּיָה בֵּין אֵשֶׁת אִישׁ, וְנִתְעַבְּרָה, וְאָמַר: זֶה הָעֻבָּר מִמֶּנִּי הוּא, וַאֲפִלּוּ הִיא מוֹדָה לוֹ, הֲרֵי זֶה סָפֵק, וְחוֹלֶצֶת וְלֹא מִתְיַבֶּמֶת. וְאִם הָיוּ חֲבוּשִׁין בְּבֵית הָאֲסוּרִים, שֶׁוַּדַּאי הוּא מִמֶּנּוּ, פּוֹטֵר (מָרְדְּכַי פֶּרֶק כֵּיצַד). וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים אֲפִלּוּ בְּזוֹנָה אַחֶרֶת הַמְיֻחֶדֶת לוֹ (הַמ"מ פ"ג):

9 one who has relations with a woman (that is not his wife), between the time that she is single and married she became pregnant, and he (the man that had relations with her when she was single) said "she is pregnant through me" and even if she agrees with him, there is a doubt, (and he needs to divorce her, and in a case where Yibum is an option) she does Chalitza and she does not do Yibum. If they were imprisoned together that its surely from him, he does not have to divorce her (Mordichai Perek Katzad). Some say even in a case when there is another Prostitute thats alone with him.

י הָאִשָּׁה שֶׁהָלַךְ בַּעְלָהּ וּבְנָהּ לִמְדִינַת הַיָּם, וּבָאוּ וְאָמְרוּ לָהּ: מֵת בַּעְלֵךְ, מֻתֶּרֶת לִנָּשֵׂא לַשּׁוּק:

10 a woman who's husband goes overseas, and comes someone (who is a reliable source) and says to her: "your husband died", its permissable for her to get married

יא הָלְכָה הִיא וּבַעְלָהּ וּבְנָהּ לִמְדִינַת הַיָּם, וּבָאָה וְאָמְרָה: מֵת בַּעְלִי וְאַחַר כָּךְ מֵת בְּנִי, נֶאֱמֶנֶת. אֲבָל אִם אָמְרָה: מֵת בְּנִי וְאַחַר כָּךְ מֵת בַּעְלִי, אֵינָהּ נֶאֱמֶנֶת לְהִתְיַבֵּם, אֶלָּא חוֹלֶצֶת וְלֹא מִתְיַבֶּמֶת:

11 If she and her husband and her son traveled to a sea state, and she came and said: my husband died and afterward my son died, she is trusted. But, if she said: my son died and then my husband died, she is not trusted to be allowed to (participate in) levirate marriage. Rather, she performs halitzah(the refusal service of the levirate marriage) and she does not perform the levirate service.

יב הָלְכָה הִיא וּבַעְלָהּ בִּלְבַד, וּבָאָה וְאָמְרָה: נִתַּן לִי בֵּן בִּמְדִינַת הַיָּם, וּמֵת, וְאַחַר כָּךְ מֵת בַּעְלִי, נֶאֱמֶנֶת. אֲבָל אִם אָמְרָה: מֵת בַּעְלִי וְאַחַר כָּךְ מֵת אוֹתוֹ הַבֵּן, אֵינָהּ נֶאֱמֶנֶת, וְחוֹלֶצֶת וְלֹא מִתְיַבֶּמֶת. בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים, כְּשֶׁהָיְתָה פְּסוּלָה לִכְהֻנָּה, אוֹ שֶׁאָמְרָה: בַּמְּעָרָה הָיִינוּ כְּשֶׁמֵת וְלֹא הָיָה שָׁם אָדָם שֶׁיָּעִיד. אֲבָל אִם אֵין הַדָּבָר כֵּן, לֹא תַּחֲלֹץ וְלֹא תִּתְיַבֵּם עַד שֶׁיָּבֹאוּ עֵדִים:

12 If she and her husband journey on their own and she comes and says: a son was given to me in this state and he died, and then my husband died, she is believed. But if she says, my husband died and then this son died, she is not believed, and she performs the refusal service and is not allowed levirate marriage. In what situation is this: when she is unfit for Kohanic status or if she says: we were in a cave when he died and there was no one there to testify. But if this is not the truth, she cannot perform the refusal service or levirate marriage until witnesses come.

יג הָלַךְ בַּעְלָהּ וְצָרָתָהּ לִמְדִינַת הַיָּם, וּבָאוּ שְׁנַיִם וְאָמְרוּ לָהּ: מֵת בַּעְלֵךְ, הֲרֵי זוֹ לֹא תַּחֲלֹץ וְלֹא תִּתְיַבֵּם עַד שֶׁתֵּדַע אִם יָלְדָה צָרָתָהּ אוֹ לֹא יָלְדָה. וְאִם הָיְתָה אֲסוּרָה לִכְהֻנָּה מִתְּחִלָּה, הֲרֵי זוֹ חוֹלֶצֶת לְאַחַר ט' חֳדָשִׁים:

13 If he husband and her associate wife journey to the sea district(a long journey), and two (witnesses) come and say to her: your husband died, behold she cannot perform the refusal service(of levirate marriage) or do levirate marriage until she knows whether the associate wife gave birth or not. And if she was forbidden, from the outset, for kohanic status, she can perform the refusal service after 9 months.

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