Beth Shammai erlaubt Brüdern Zaroth (Ehefrauen). [Sie erlauben es, dass die Zara einer Erwa von einem Bruder in Yibum (Levirate-Ehe) aufgenommen wird, ohne dies zu erklären (3. Mose 18: 8): "Und eine Frau zusammen mit ihrer Schwester sollst du nicht als Rivalen (Litzror) betrachten." was bedeutet: Nimm weder sie, ihre Zara noch die Zara ihrer Zara.] Und Beth Hillel verbietet ihnen. Wenn sie [der Zaroth] Chalitzah (Befreiung von Yibum) [von den Brüdern] erhalten haben, betrachtet Beth Shammai sie [den Zaroth] als für die Ehe innerhalb des Priestertums ungeeignet, [ihre Chalitzah ist gültig (und eine Chalutzah ist einem Cohein verboten) )] und Beth Hillel halten sie für fit, [ihre Chalitzah war unnötig und der Chalitzah eines Nichtjuden ähnlich.] Wenn sie [von den Brüdern] in Yibum aufgenommen wurden, betrachtet Beth Shammai sie als fit [für die Ehe mit Cohanim wenn sie von ihren Ehemännern verwitwet sind] und Beth Hillel als ungeeignet [mit denen leben, die ihnen verboten sind, machen sie "Zona" und somit einem Cohein verboten]. Und obwohl diese als ungeeignet und als geeignet angesehen wurden, hielt Beth Shammai sich nicht davon ab, Frauen aus Beth Hillel zu heiraten, und Beth Hillel hielt sich nicht davon ab, Frauen aus Beth Shammai zu heiraten. [Und obwohl die Kinder des Zaroth, die nach dem Urteil von Beth Shammai in Yibum aufgenommen wurden, nach Beth Hillel Mamzerim sind (das Verbot gegen die Frau eines Bruders gilt für sie, die Strafe für Übertretung ist Kareth und die Kinder von Beth Karel hielt sich nicht davon ab, Frauen aus Beth Shammai zu heiraten, denn sie würden sie, die aus Zaroth stammten, genehmigen und sie meiden.] Und in all den Fällen, in denen diese sauber und die anderen unrein regierten würden sie nicht davon abhalten, rituelle Sauberkeit untereinander zu beobachten. [dh sie würden sich gegenseitig ihre Gefäße leihen.]
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מתירין את הצרות לאחין – rivals of a woman forbidden on account of consanguinity, they (i.e., the School of Shammai) permit her to engage in a levirate marriage to the dead husband’s brother, for they lack [acceptance of] the expounding of [the Biblical verse] (Leviticus 18:18): “Do not marry a woman as a rival to her sister [and uncover her nakedness in the other’s lifetime],” that implies from this that he cannot marry neither her, nor her associate wife, nor her associate’s associate wife.”
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Introduction
This mishnah discusses a dispute in the laws of levirate marriage between Beth Shammai and Beth Hillel. We will learn these laws more fully when we learn tractate Yevamoth.
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חלצו – the associate wives from the brothers.
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Beth Shammai permits the rival wives [of a deceased brother to be married] to the [surviving] brothers; But Beth Hillel forbids them. This mishnah describes a complicated situation which we will first explain. Reuven and Shimon are brothers. Leah and Rachel are sisters. Reuven marries Leah and Devorah (who is not related to anyone). Shimon marries Rachel. If Reuven should die without children one of his wives needs to either marry Shimon (levirate marriage) or have the ceremony of release (halitzah) performed. Shimon cannot marry Leah, since he is already married to her sister, Rachel, and it is forbidden for one man to marry sisters. According to Beth Shammai, although Leah cannot marry Shimon, Devorah, Leah’s rival wife from her marriage to Reuven, can. According to Beth Hillel, since Leah was forbidden, Devorah is also forbidden. If Shimon were to marry Devorah this would be considered the forbidden relationship of marrying a brother’s wife, which is only permitted when necessitated by levirate marriage. [Note: it is forbidden to marry a brother’s wife even after the brother is dead].
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ב"ש פוסלין – the associate wives from [marrying into] the priesthood, for their taking off of the levir’s shoe is considered a valid act of removal of the levir’s shoe.
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If they have performed halitzah, Beth Shammai pronounce them unfit to [marry into] the priesthood, But Beth Hillel pronounced them fit. If Shimon should perform halitzah for Devorah, according to Beth Shammai she is now truly a halutzah, a woman had been released from levirate marriage. Since halutzoth are forbidden to subsequently marry priests, Devorah cannot marry a priest. According to Beth Hillel, this halitzah was not necessary, since there was no necessity for levirate marriage in this case. Therefore Devorah is not considered a halutzah, and she may subsequently marry a priest.
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וב"ה מכשירין – for their act of taking off of the levir’s shoe was not necessary, and it is as if she is removing the shoe of a heathen.
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If they have married their brother-in-law, Beth Shammai pronounce them fit [to marry into the priesthood], But Beth Hillel pronounced them unfit. If Shimon should marry Devorah and then die, according to Beth Shammai she could now marry a priest. Shimon’s marriage to Devorah was legal and therefore she has not been rendered unfit to marry a priest by having engaged in a forbidden relationship. Her status is that of a twice-widowed women. [Note: widows may marry priests.] According to Beth Hillel, since Shimon’s marriage to Devorah was illegal, she is unfit to subsequently marry into the priesthood. [Note: any woman who has had an illicit sexual relationship cannot subsequently marry a priest. This includes incestual and adulterous relationships.]
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נתיבמו – to the [dead husband’s] brothers.
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And although these pronounce unfit and these pronounce fit, Beth Shammai did not refrain from marrying women from [the daughters of] Beth Hillel, nor did Beth Hillel refrain from marrying women from [the daughters of] Beth Shammai. The last two sections of this mishnah are amongst the most powerful statements of pluralism in the Rabbinic tradition. Up until now we have learned of serious and consequential disputes between Beth Shammai and Beth Hillel. The marital laws of the two houses are substantially different: what one house accepts the other rejects. As a consequence of these different laws, Beth Shammai will consider some children born according to the rules of Beth Hillel to be mamzerim who are forbidden for regular Israelites to marry. The same is true for Beth Hillel with regards to the women of Beth Shammai. Nevertheless, scholars of neither house refrained from marrying the women of the other house. So important to them was the unity of Israel, that when it came to marriage they put aside their differences and intermarried.
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ב"ש מכשירין – them to [marry] Kohanim, if they had become widowed from their levirs.
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And in the case of all matters of purity and impurity in respect to which these pronounce pure and these pronounce impure, they did not refrain from preparing foods requiring a condition of purity each by means of [the vessels of] the other. The same is true with regards to the laws of purity. Although we have learned many disputes with regards to these laws, Beth Shammai would prepare its food with vessels used by those from Beth Hillel, and vice versa.
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וב"ה פוסלים – since they were engaged in sexual relations with someone prohibited to them, and when they engage in sexual relations with someone prohibited to them, it makes her a harlot and a harlot is prohibited to a Kohen.
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Questions for Further Thought: • In what situations would a member of Beth Hillel theoretically not be able to marry a daughter of Beth Shammai and vice versa?
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לא נמנעו – and even though the children of the associate wives have already engaged in levirate marriage according to the words of the School of Shammai, they are illegitimate/Mamzerim according to words of the School of Hillel, because the prohibited act of marrying one’s wife’s brother has come upon them, and marrying the wife of one’s brother [makes him] liable for extirpation and the children of those who are liable for extirpation are illegitimate/Mamzerim. And despite this, the School of Hillel was not prevented from marrying women from the School of Shammai, because they would inform them of those who come from the rival wives and separate themselves from them.
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אלו על גב אלו – they lend out their utensils one to the other.
