Shulchan Aruch, Even HaEzer Siman 157

Siman 157

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 שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ אָח מֵאָבִיו, אֲפִלּוּ הוּא מַמְזֵר אוֹ עוֹבֵד ע" א, וַאֲפִלּוּ הוּא קָטָן, מִשֶּׁיָּצָא רֹאשׁוֹ וְרֻבּוֹ לַאֲוִיר הָעוֹלָם קֹדֶם שֶׁיָּמוּת אָחִיו, הֲרֵי זֶה זוֹקֵק (פי', קוֹשֵׁר, מֵעִנְיָן "אֲסוּרִים בַּזִּקִים") (אִיּוֹב לו, ח) אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ לְיִבּוּם. אֲפִלּוּ הוּא גּוֹסֵס אוֹ פְּצוּעַ מַכּוֹת שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִחְיוֹת מֵהֶם, לֹא תִּנָּשֵׂא כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהוּא חַי. אֲבָל אִם הוּא אָחִיו מֵאִמּוֹ, אוֹ שֶׁנּוֹלַד אַחַר מוֹתוֹ, יְבִמְתּוֹ מֻתֶּרֶת לַשּׁוּק. וְכֵן אִם הָיָה לוֹ אָח מֵהַשִּׁפְחָה אוֹ מֵהַנָּכְרִית, אֵינוֹ זוֹקֵק אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהָיְתָה לֵדָתוֹ בִּקְדֻשָּׁה, הוֹאִיל וְהוֹרָתוֹ הָיְתָה שֶׁלֹּא בִּקְדֻשָּׁה:

1 One who has a brother of the same father, even if he is a bastard or an apostate, even if he is a child, [the law is that] from the point that his head and most of his body already was born before his brother died, behold he is tied Rema: [Zokek] meaning "tied", like (Job 36:8) to his [brother's] wife in levirate marriage. Even if he is on his deathbed, or diseased so much so that he will not live because of it, she cannot remarry [to someone else] so long as he lives. But if it is a brother of the same mother, or he was born after [the married childless brother] died, his "yibbum" can remarry [lit. "permitted to the marketplace"]. Similarly, if [the married childless brother] has a brother from a maid-servant, or a gentile woman, he is not tied to his [brother's] wife in levirate marriage, even though he was born in holiness, since his conception was not in holiness.

ב אֲפִלּוּ קָרוֹב, אוֹ אִשָּׁה, אוֹ עֶבֶד, אוֹ קָטָן שֶׁהוּא מַכִּיר וְנָבוֹן, נֶאֱמָנִים לוֹמַר: זֶה פְּלוֹנִי אֲחִי פְּלוֹנִי מֵאָבִיו, וְזוֹ הִיא יְבִמְתּוֹ, וְחוֹלְצִים אוֹ מְיַבְּמִים עַל פִּיהֶם:

2 Even a relative, or woman, or slave, or child who can understand, they are believed to say, "So-and-so is the brother of so-and-so from his father's side, and that is his levirate wife," and they do halitza or levirate marriage by their word.

ג גֵּרִים שֶׁנִּתְגַּיְּרוּ וַעֲבָדִים שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּחְרְרוּ, אֵין לָהֶם אַחֲוָה כְּלָל, אֲפִלּוּ אֶחָד מֵהֶם הוֹרָתוֹ שֶׁלֹּא בִּקְדֻשָּׁה וְלֵדָתוֹ בִּקְדֻשָּׁה, וְהַשֵּׁנִי הוֹרָתוֹ וְלֵדָתוֹ בִּקְדֻשָּׁה. וַאֲפִלּוּ הֵם תְּאוֹמִים וְנוֹלְדוּ בִּקְדֻשָּׁה, אֵין לָהֶם אַחֲוָה עַד שֶׁיִּהְיוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם הוֹרָתָם וְלֵדָתָם בִּקְדֻשָּׁה:

3 Converts or freed slaves have no brothers at all, even if one of them was conceived in an unholy manner but the birth was holy [i.e. of completely Jewish stock], and the other was conceived and born in holiness. And even if they are twins and they were [both] born in holiness, they are not brothers unless both were conceived and born in holiness.

ד נָפְלָה לִפְנֵי יָבָם מְשֻׁמָּד, יֵשׁ מִי שֶׁמַּתִּיר אִם הָיָה מְשֻׁמָּד כְּשֶׁנָּשְׂאָהּ אָחִיו; וְאֵין לִסְמֹךְ עָלָיו. הַגָּה: מִיהוּ, אִם עָבְרָה וְנִשֵּׂאת בְּלֹא חֲלִיצָה, כִּי לֹא יָדְעָה שֶׁהָיָה לָהּ יָבָם, וְאַחַר כָּךְ נוֹדַע שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהּ יָבָם מְשֻׁמָּד, לֹא תֵּצֵא (מהר"י מִינְץ סִי' י"ב). וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דַּוְקָא אִם חָלַץ לָהּ לְבַסוֹף (מהרי"ו סִי' נ"ד וּבִנְיָמִין זְאֵב). הָיוּ לָהּ שְׁנֵי יְבָמִים, אֶחָד מְשֻׁמָּד וְהוּא הַגָּדוֹל, וְאֶחָד קָטָן וְהוּא יִשְׂרָאֵל, לֹא תַּחֲלֹץ אֶלָּא מִן הַיִּשְׂרָאֵל; וַאֲפִלּוּ בְּדִיעֲבַד לֹא מְהַנֵּי מִן הַמְשֻׁמָּד (כֵּן הֵשִׁיב מוהר"ם וְכ"כ מהרא"י וּמַהֲרִי"ק). אֲבָל אִם הוּא אָנוּס, מְהַנֵּי בְּדִיעֲבַד (רִיבָ"שׁ סִימָן א'). וְהַמְקַדֵּשׁ אִשָּׁה וְיֵשׁ לוֹ אָח מְשֻׁמָּד, יָכוֹל לְקַדֵּשׁ וּלְהַתְנוֹת בִּתְנַאי כָּפוּל שֶׁאִם תִּפֹּל לִפְנֵי הַמְשֻׁמָּד לְיִבּוּם שֶׁלֹּא תְּהֵא מְקֻדֶּשֶׁת (מהרא"י ברי"ן):

4 [a woman who requires Yibum] proposal plan is with [the deceased's] brother-in-law who converted [to another religion from Judaism], there are some authorities who permit if he was converted when his brother was married; she does not have to rely on him [meaning he is free from any form of obligations to levirate marriage i.e. yibum,chalitza] Rema: who is he? if she sins and marries without challitza, since its not know to her that there was a brother-in-law, and afterwards its known that she has a brother-in-law who converted, she is not free [from the available options in regard to the obligation of levirate marriage]. there are authorities who say if there is an option to do Chalitza to her [she should do it] to end [the halachic relationship between the two of them]. if there were two brother-in-laws, one converted and is a Gadol and one is a Katan and is a Yesroel, No chalitza [from the converted brother-in-law] rather from the Yesroel; and even post facto [if she did chalitza with the converted brother-in-law] he is not survived with the converted brother-in-law. But If he was converted by force, he [the deceased] is survived by him [halachically] its permitted post facto [to do chalitza/yibum with him]. and the one who marries a woman and he has a brother who converted, he is able to marry and stipulate with a condition twice that if [he dies and] the proposal plan is before the [brother] who converted to do levirate marriage- they will not be married.

ה אִם הַמֵּת הָיָה מְשֻׁמָּד, אִשְׁתּוֹ זְקוּקָה לְאָחִיו. וְהוּא הַדִּין זַרְעוֹ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ מִיִּשְׂרְאֵלִית (ב"י וְד"ע):

5 if the diseased was an individual who converted from Judaism, his wife is in need of the brother [to preform levirate marriage/chalitza]. THIS IS THE RULE TO BRANCH [from his brother] THAT THERE IS [this obligation] TO HIM FOR A JEWISH WOMAN

ו לֹא הָיָה מֻחְזָק בְּאַחִים, וְאָמַר: יֵשׁ לִי אַחִים, אֵינוֹ נֶאֱמָן. בָּא אֶחָד וְאָמַר: אֲנִי אָחִיו, אֵינוֹ נֶאֱמָן; וַאֲפִלּוּ עֵד אֶחָד אוֹ קָרוֹב מֵעִיד עָלָיו שֶׁהוּא אָחִיו, אֵינוֹ נֶאֱמָן לְהוֹצִיאָהּ מֵחֶזְקָתָהּ:

6 Information of the deceased's brother was not withheld, and he [the deceased] said:"I have a brother" he is not believed. some one comes and says "I am the deceased's brother" he is not believed; Even if one witness of a relative comes to testify that this individual is the brother of the diseased, they are not believed and she is free from any form of levirite marriage.

ז הָיָה מֻחְזָק בְּאַחִים, וְאָמַר בִּשְׁעַת מִיתָתוֹ: אֵין לִי אַחִים, אֵינוֹ נֶאֱמָן. וְכֵן אִם אָמַר עַל מִי שֶׁהֻחְזַק אָחִיו, אֵין זֶה אָחִי, אֵינוֹ נֶאֱמָן:

7 If someone was known to have brothers and at the time of his death he said: I have no brothers, he is not believed. So too if he said about someone who was known to be his brother: This is not my brother, he is not believed.

ח לֹא הָיָה מֻחְזָק בְּאַחִים, וְיָצָא קוֹל שֶׁיֵּשׁ עֵדִים שֶׁיָּעִידוּ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ אַחִים, וְהָעֵדִים בִּמְדִינָה אַחֶרֶת, אֲפִלּוּ אָמַר הוּא בִּשְׁעַת מִיתָתוֹ: אֵין לִי אָח, הֲרֵי זוֹ חוֹשֶׁשֶׁת, וְתַמְתִּין עַד שֶׁיָּבֹאוּ עֵדִים שֶׁאָמְרוּ, וְיִשְׁאֲלוּ:

8 If he was not known to have brothers and a rumor started that there are witnesses who will testify that he has brothers and the witnesses are in another country, even if he said at the time of his death: "I have no brother." She [the widow] must still be concerned and should wait until the witnesses who said [he has a brother] come and are asked.

ט אִשָּׁה שֶׁאֵין לְבַעְלָהּ בֵּן וְלֹא אָח, וַחֲמוֹתָהּ וְחָמִיהָ בִּמְדִינַת הַיָּם, וּמֵת בַּעְלָהּ, מֻתֶּרֶת לִנָּשֵׂא; וְלֹא חַיְשִׁינָן שֶׁמָּא יָלְדָה חֲמוֹתָהּ זָכָר וְהִיא זְקוּקָה לוֹ. אֲבָל אִם יָצָאתָה חֲמוֹתָהּ מִכָּאן מְעֻבֶּרֶת, חוֹשְׁשִׁין שֶׁמָּא יָלְדָה זָכָר וְהִיא זְקוּקָה לוֹ:

9 A woman whose husband has neither a son or a brother, and her mother-in-law and father-in-law are overseas when her husband dies is permitted to remarry; for we are not concerned that her mother-in-law may have given birth to a son and he is entitled to her [via levirate marriage]. But, if her mother-in-law left when pregnant, we are concerned lest she gave birth to a boy and he is entitled [to her via levirate marriage].

י אִשָּׁה שֶׁמֵּת בַּעְלָהּ, וְהָיָה לוֹ בֵּן בִּמְדִינַת הַיָּם, הֲרֵי זוֹ מֻתֶּרֶת לְזָר, וְאֵין חוֹשְׁשִׁין שֶׁמָּא מֵת הַבֵּן, אֶלָּא הַעֲמֵד אוֹתָהּ עַל חֶזְקָתָהּ. יָבָם אָסוּר לָדוּר עִם חֲלוּצָתוֹ, אִם לִבּוֹ גַּס בָּהּ, כְּמוֹ אָרוּס וַאֲרוּסָתוֹ (תְּשׁוּבַת הָרַשְׁבָּ"א סִימָן ר"ט); וְדַוְקָא לְאַחַר שֶׁחָלַץ, אֲבָל קֹדֶם שֶׁחָלַץ, שָׁרֵי (מַהֲרַ"ם פַּדָּוואָה סִי' ז'):

10 A woman whose husband dies, and he had a son overseas, she is permitted to [marry] a non-family member [i.e. not her husband's brother. We are not concerned that the son may have died, rather she stands in her place by presumption [of the son being alive]. The brother of a deceased husband may not live with [his brother's widow with whom he will do] halitza if he is attracted to her, just like an engaged [but not married] couple. (Responsum of the Rashba #209); this is specifically after the halitza ceremony, but, prior, it is permitted (Maraharm Padua paragraph 7).

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