Shulchan Aruch, Even HaEzer Siman 159

Siman 159

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 הַזְּקוּקָה לְיָבָם שֶׁנִּתְקַדְּשָׁה לְאַחֵר בְּשׁוֹגֵג, נוֹתֵן לָהּ הַזָּר שֶׁקִּדְּשָׁהּ גֵּט, וִיבָמָהּ מְיַבֵּם אוֹ חוֹלֵץ. אִם הָיָה יְבָמָהּ כֹּהֵן, שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִשָּׂא גְּרוּשָׁה, תֵּצֵא מֵהַזָּר בְּגֵט, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא חוֹטֵא נִשְׂכָּר, וְחוֹלֵץ לָהּ יְבָמָהּ. וְאִם חָזַר הַזָּר שֶׁגֵּרְשָׁהּ מֵהָאֵרוּסִין, וְנָשְׂאָהּ אַחַר שֶׁחָלַץ לָהּ יְבָמָהּ, אֵין מוֹצִיאִין אוֹתָהּ מִיָּדוֹ. הַגָּה: וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּאֲפִלּוּ חָזַר וּנְשָׂאָהּ, מוֹצִיאִין אוֹתָהּ מִיָּדוֹ, הוֹאִיל וְנִתְקַדְּשָׁה לוֹ בְּאִסוּר. וְדַוְקָא אִם קִדְּשָׁהּ בְּמֵזִיד, אֲבָל אִם קִדְּשָׁהּ בְּשׁוֹגֵג, שֶׁלֹּא יָדְעוּ שֶׁהָיָה לָהּ יָבָם, אִם רוֹצֶה הַיָּבָם לְיַבֵּם, צָרִיךְ הַמְקַדֵּשׁ לְגָרְשָׁהּ; וְאִם רוֹצֶה הַיָּבָם לַחֲלֹץ, חוֹלֵץ לָהּ וְנִשֵּׂאת לַמְקַדֵּשׁ, וְצָרִיךְ לַחֲזֹר וּלְקַדֵּשׁ אוֹתָהּ אַחֵר שֶׁחָלַץ לָהּ יְבָמָהּ (ר"ת); וְכֵן נִרְאֶה לִי עִקָּר. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דַּוְקָא בְּשׁוֹגֵג גָּמוּר, שֶׁלֹּא יָדְעוּ שֶׁיֵּשׁ כָּאן יָבָם. אֲבָל הָיָה כָּאן יָבָם, אֶלָּא שֶׁהָיָה סְבוּרָה שֶׁמֵּת, כִּי כֵּן יָצָא הַקּוֹל, תֵּצֵא מִן הַמְקַדֵּשׁ (ת"ה סִי' רכ"ב):
1 One connected to a brother-in-law who became betrothed to another by accident -- the outsider who betrothed her gives her a bill [of divorce], and her brother-in-law does levirate marriage or chalitsah. If her brother-in-law was a kohen, who cannot wed a divorcee, she leaves the outsider with a bill [of divorce] so that a sinner not profit [thereby], and her brother-in-law effects chalitsah with her. If the outsider, who divorced her from betrothal, returns and nisu'in -marries her after her brother-in-law has effected chalitsah with her, we do not remove her from him. Comment: And some say that even if he returned and nisu'in -married her, we do remove her from him, since she was betrothed to him illicitly. That [however] is specifically if he betrothed her on purpose, but if he betrothed her by accident -- that they did not know she had a brother-in-law -- [then:] if the brother-in-law wishes to effect levirate marriage, the betrother must divorce her, [but] if the brother-in-law wishes to effect chalitsah, he does chalitsah and she is nisu'in -married to the betrother; and he must betroth her again after her brother-in-law has effected chalitsah (Rabbi Tam). So seems principal to me. And some say [this is] specifically in [a case of] complete accident, that they did not know that there is a brother-in-law present, but if a brother-in-law had been present but it was thought that he was dead -- for so the rumor had spread -- she shall leave the betrother (Torat HaBayit chapter 222).
ב נִשֵּׂאת לְזָר, אֲפִלּוּ בְּשׁוֹגֵג, מוֹצִיאָהּ בְּגֵט, וַאֲפִלּוּ הָיוּ לוֹ בָּנִים מִמֶּנָּה; וְנֶאֶסְרָה עָלָיו וְעַל יְבָמָהּ, וְי"ג דְּרָכִים שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֲרוּ בְּסִימָן י"ז בָּהּ, אֶלָּא שֶׁאֵין הַוָּלָד מַמְזֵר. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁהוּא מַמְזֵר מִדְּרַבָּנָן. וִיבָמָהּ חוֹלֵץ לָהּ, וְאַחַר כָּךְ תִּהְיֶה מֻתֶּרֶת לַאֲחֵרִים וְעַיֵּן לְעֵיל סִימָן קנ"ז סָעִיף ד':
2 A woman who had been bound for levirate marriage, but instead married (by nisuin) an outsider, even accidentally, he must divorce her, even if they had children together. She is forbidden to him and also to the yavam (living brother of her late husband). The thirteen rules listed in chapter 17 (I believe referring to se'if 55, regarding a woman who remarried in the lifetime of her husband who had been mistakenly thought dead) apply, except that her progeny (from the outsider) is not a mamzer (bastard). Some say that the child has a status of Rabbinic mamzer. Her yavam gives her chalitza (ceremony dissolving the levirate bond), and she is then permitted to marry others. (Comment: See supra chapter 157 se'if 4).
ג שׁוֹמֶרֶת יָבָם שֶׁזִּנְּתָה, לֹא נֶאֶסְרָה עַל יְבָמָהּ, אִם הוּא יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דַּאֲסוּרָה לַבּוֹעֵל מִשּׁוּם קְנָסָא (נ"י פֶּרֶק הָאִשָּׁה):
3 A woman bound for levirate marriage (shomeret yavam) who committed fornication, does not become forbidden to the yavam (surviving brother of her late husband) if he is an Israelite (non-priest). Rema: Some authorities say that she is forbidden to her partner in fornication by k'nas - rabbinic punishment (Nimukei Yosef chapter haIsha).
ד נִתְיַבְּמָהּ בְּטָעוּת, כְּגוֹן שֶׁשָּׁמְעָה שֶׁמֵּת בַּעְלָהּ, וְאַחַר כָּךְ בָּא; אִם הָיְתָה נְשׂוּאָתוֹ, אֵינָהּ צְרִיכָה גֵּט מֵהַיָּבָם, וּמֻתֶּרֶת לְבַעְלָהּ. וְאִם הָיְתָה אֲרוּסָתוֹ, צְרִיכָה גֵּט מֵהַיָּבָם וַאֲסוּרָה לְבַעְלָהּ (טוּר):
4 If she consummated levirate marriage by accident, as when she heard that her husband had died, and then he appeared; If she was fully married (by nisuin) to her husband, she does not require a get (writ of divorce) from the yavam. Rema: And she is permitted to her husband (Tur). Mechaber: If she was only betrothed (by erusin) to her husband, she requires a get from the yavam. Rema: And she is forbidden to her husband.
ה הַיָּבָם אָסוּר בִּקְרוֹבוֹת זְקוּקָתוֹ, אֲפִלּוּ מֵתָה קֹדֶם שֶׁיִּבֵּם אוֹ יַחֲלֹץ, בֵּין שֶׁהוּא יָבָם אֶחָד, בֵּין שֶׁהֵם שְׁנֵי יְבָמִים. וַאֲפִלּוּ סָפֵק אִם זְקוּקָה אוֹ לֹא, אָזְלִינָן לְחֻמְרָא (טוּר). לְפִיכָךְ, אִם קִדֵּשׁ אֶחָד מֵהֶם אֲחוֹת זְקוּקָתוֹ, אָסוּר לוֹ לְכָנְסָהּ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִיא כַּאֲחוֹת אֲרוּסָתוֹ, עַד שֶׁיְּיַבֵּם אָחִיו אוֹ יַחֲלֹץ לַזְּקוּקָה וְתִפְקַע הַזִּקָּה. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּדַוְקָא בְּקִדְּשָׁהּ, אֲבָל אִם כָּנְסָהּ, פָּקְעָה לָהּ זִקָּה וּמֻתָּר לָבֹא עָלֶיהָ קֹדֶם שֶׁיְּיַבֵּם אוֹ יַחֲלֹץ אָחִיו. הַגָּה: וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּעַכְשָׁו בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה דְּאִכָּא חֵרֶם רַבֵּנוּ גֵּרְשֹׁם שֶׁלֹּא לָשֵׂאת שְׁתֵּי נָשִׁים, אִם נָפְלָה לְאֶחָד שׁוֹמֶרֶת יָבָם, אָסוּר לִשָּׂא אַחֶרֶת עַד שֶׁיַּחֲלֹץ לִיבִמְתּוֹ (ר"י מִינְץ). וְדַוְקָא שֶׁלֹּא הָיְתָה מְשֻׁדֶּכֶת לוֹ כְּבָר, אֲבָל אִם הָיְתָה מְשֻׁדֶּכֶת לוֹ כְּבָר, מֻתָּר לְכָנְסָהּ (הַגָּהוֹת מָרְדְּכַי דִּכְתֻבוֹת):
5 The yavam is forbidden to marry any of the relations of the person he must do yibum with, even if she dies before they do yibum or chalitzah, whether he is the only one who can do yibum or there are two. Even if there is a doubt whether she is his intended yibum or not, we go according to the strict opinion (Tur). Therefore, if she engaged one of his intended yibum 's sisters, he is forbidden to marry her, since she is like the sister of his fiancee, until his brother does yibum or he does chalitzah with his intended, and therefore the status of intended is lost. There are those who say that specifically engaged her, but if they married, the status of intended is removed and he is permitted to go to her before he performs yibum or his brother performs chalitzah. Rema: there are those who say that in our times, because of regulation of Rabeinu Gershom, that you cannot have two wives, if one became the yavam, it is forbidden to enter into another marriage until you perform chalitzah for his yevamah (R"I from Mintz). Specifically, if they were not already arranged to be married, if they were already arranged, they are allowed to marry (Hagot Mordechai Ketubot).
ו קִדֵּשׁ אִשָּׁה, וְאַחַר כָּךְ מֵת אָחִיו שֶׁהָיָה נָשׂוּי אֲחוֹתָהּ, כּוֹנֵס אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ:
6 If one betrothed a woman, and afterwards his brother, who was married to her sister, died, he brings his wife [into his house, i.e. consummates the marriage].
ז קִדֵּשׁ אֲחוֹת זְקוּקָתוֹ, וְאַחַר כָּךְ מֵת אָחִיו שֶׁהָיְתָה גַּם כֵּן זְקוּקָה לוֹ, וְלֹא נִשְׁאֲרָה זְקוּקָה אֶלָּא לְזֶה, מוֹצִיא אֲרוּסָתוֹ בְּגֵט וְאֶת הַיְבָמָה בַּחֲלִיצָה; וְאִם מֵתָה אֲרוּסָתוֹ, חוֹזֶרֶת הַיְבָמָה לְהֶתֵּרָהּ, רָצָה חוֹלֵץ רָצָה מְיַבֵּם:
7 One who marries a woman who is in need [of a husband because she cannot support herself], and afterwards he dies if he has a brother she will rely on him for support, and she will not remain needy rather she will [be supported] like this [with the brother], to remove [this obligation of having to be engaged to] the fiance [it is done] with a get and the brother-in-law [who has this obligation of levirite marriage, it is done] with chalitza; and if the fiance dies [during the period when they are engaged], she goes to the brother-in-law to permit her [to get married], [it must be the] desire of the woman [and it must be the] desire of the brother-in-law.
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