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Perek 1

Mishnayos Yevamos Perek 1 Mishnah 3

יבמות פרק א׳ משנה ג׳

3
Six women with whom relations are forbidden who were not enumerated in the first mishna are forbidden by prohibitions that are more severe than those listed in that mishna because they may be married only to others and may never be married to any of the brothers, due to the closeness of their relationship. However, this stringency entails a corresponding leniency: Since the halakha of levirate marriage is entirely inapplicable in these cases, their rival wives are permitted. The rival wife of a forbidden relative is forbidden herself only if the mitzva of levirate marriage is applicable, but where it is not in effect she is permitted. The six women with whom relations are forbidden are as follows: His mother, and his father’s wife, and his father’s sister, and his paternal half sister, and the wife of his father’s brother, and the wife of his paternal half brother. Each of these women with whom relations are forbidden is forbidden equally to all of the brothers, and the mitzva of levirate marriage is inapplicable. Therefore, her rival wife is permitted.
שֵׁשׁ עֲרָיוֹת חֲמוּרוֹת מֵאֵלּוּ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁנְּשׂוּאוֹת לַאֲחֵרִים, צָרוֹתֵיהֶן מֻתָּרוֹת. אִמּוֹ, וְאֵשֶׁת אָבִיו, וַאֲחוֹת אָבִיו, אֲחוֹתוֹ מֵאָבִיו, וְאֵשֶׁת אֲחִי אָבִיו, וְאֵשֶׁת אָחִיו מֵאָבִיו:
ג׳

שש עריות חמורות מאלו – and what is their stringency? That they are married to others (i.e., outsiders). But they are not able to marry the brother of this one from his father, and if their husbands died, who are “strangers” (i.e., outsiders) regarding this one, their rival/co-wives are permitted to marry to this one, for the rivals of a woman are not forbidden on account of consanguinity other than when she falls before him for levirate marriage from his brother. And our Rabbi/teacher, Moshe bar Maimon (i.e., Maimonides) explained, that if they married through sin to his brother and he died without children, and they fell [before him] for levirate marriage, their rival/co-wives are permitted, for these are not [forbidden] on account of consanguinity since their betrothal/Kiddushin do not take effect to his brother in those forbidden relations of incest.

אמו – she cannot marry his brother from his father, for she is to him the wife of the father, according to the one who says that the ravaged wife of his father is prohibited, and above (Mishnah two), I explained, that this is not the Halakha, but rather, his mother exempts her rival/co-wife, for she is able to marry to his brother from his father.

אשת אביו אשת אחיו מאביו – [that he had children] and the sister of his father, all of them are forbidden to his brother, like they are forbidden to him, and there is not side of Levirate marriage on this forever, and if others married them and they have other wives, and they (i.e., the husbands) died, their rival/co-wives are permitted to marry this one, and similarly, if his brother married them in sin, and he died without children, their rival/co-wives are permitted.

שש עריות חמורות מאלו. ומה היא חומרא שלהן, שנשואות לאחרים. ואינן יכולות להנשא לאחיו של זה מאביו, ואם מתו בעליהן שהן נכרים אצל זה, צרותיהן מותרות לינשא לזה, שאין צרת ערוה אסורה אלא בנופלת לפניו ליבום מאחיו. ורבינו משה בר מיימון פירש, אם נישאו בעבירה לאחיו, ומת בלא בנים ונפלו ליבום לפניו, צרותיהן מותרות, שאין אלו צרות ערוה, הואיל ולא היו קדושין תופסין לאחיו באותן עריות:

אמו. אינה יכולה להנשא לאחיו מאביו, שהרי היא לו אשת האב, לדברי האומר שאנוסת אביו אסורה. ולעיל פירשתי שאין כן הלכה, אלא אמו פוטרת צרתה, שהיא יכולה להנשא לאחיו מאביו:

אשת אביו, אשת אחיו מאביו. [שהיה לו בנים] ואחות אביו, כולן אסורות לאחיו כמו שאסורות עליו, ואין בהם צד יבום על זה לעולם. ואם נשאום אחרים ולהם נשים אחרות ומתו, צרותיהן מותרות לינשא לזה. וכן אם נשא אותה אחיו בעבירה ומת בלא בנים צרותיהן מותרות: