Issur mitzvah — shniyoth [secondary to arayoth] interdicted by the soferim. [They are called "issur mitzvah" because it is a mitzvah to hearken to the words of the sages. The shniyoth are: the mother of his mother (all the way down the line), the mother of his father's mother alone, the mother of his father (all the way down the line), the mother of his father's father, the wife of his father's father (all the way down the line), the wife of his father's mother (alone), the wife of his father's brother from the mother, the wife of his mother's brother, whether from the mother or from the father, the daughter-in-law of his son (all the way down the line), the daughter-in-law of his daughter, the daughter of the daughter of his son, the daughter of the daughter of his daughter, the daughter of the son of his son, the daughter of the son of his daughter, the daughter of the daughter of the son of his wife, the daughter of the daughter of the daughter of his wife, the mother of the mother of the father of his wife, the mother of the mother of the mother of his wife, the mother of the father of the mother of his wife, and the mother of the father of the father of his wife.] Issur kedushah — a widow to a high-priest [in an instance where his brother, a Cohein, died, and his wife fell before him (for yibum)], a divorced woman and a chalutzah to a plain Cohein [as when his dead brother had transgressed and married a divorced woman or a chalutzah. When he dies, she requires chalitzah, for betrothal "takes" in her (betrothal) "taking" in those interdicted by negative commandment (but not subject to kareth). But he does not take her in yibum, for she is forbidden to him. And simply to exempt her is impossible, the negative commandment not sufficing to exempt her, our deriving this (exemption) from the (instance of the) sister of one's wife, where kareth obtains], a mamzereth and a Nethinah to a Yisrael, and the daughter of a Yisrael to a Nathin and to a mamzer.
Bartenura on Mishnah Yevamot
שניות – [secondary grade of forbidden relationships seen as incestuous] – forbidden incestuous or adulterous sexual relationships that the Scribes/Soferim decreed upon them which are called prohibitions resulting from a Mitzvah (i.e., based upon the Mitzvah not to deviate from the rulings of the Sages – see Deuteronomy 17:11), for it is a Mitzvah to hearken to the words of the Sages, and which are they? The mother of his mother, and there is no limitation but if it is the father of his mother alone, and the mother of his father, and it has no limitation [and if the father of his father] and the wife of his father’s father, and it has no limitation, and the wife of his mother’s father alone, and the wife of his brother’s father from the mother, and the wife of his mother’s brother, whether from the mother or whether from the father and there is no limitation, and daughter-in-law of his daughter, and the daughter of his son’s daughter and the daughter of the daughter’s daughter and the daughter of’s his son’s son and the daughter of his son’s daughter, and the daughter [of the daughter] of the son of his wife, and the daughter [of the daughter] of his wife’s daughter, and the mother of the mother of his father’s wife, and the mother of [the mother] of his wife’s mother, and the father of the mother of his wife’s mother, and the mother of the father of his father’s wife.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yevamot
Introduction
Mishnah four defines the two categories mentioned in section two of mishnah three.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yevamot
A “prohibition due to a commandment” [refers to] the secondary incest prohibitions forbidden by the scribes. “A prohibition due to holiness” [refers to the following forbidden relationships]: a widow to a high priest; a divorced woman, or one that had performed halitzah to a regular priest; a mamzereth or a netinah to an Israelite; and an Israelite woman to a natin or a mamzer. Women who are not themselves forbidden because of incest laws, but the scribes (rabbis) decreed that they were nevertheless prohibited are called “secondary incest prohibitions”. Some examples of “secondary incest prohibitions” are one’s grandmother and one’s son’s or daughter’s daughter-in-law. The reason that the rabbis prohibited these women is to keep people away from potential sin. That is to say, if it became permitted to have relations with your son’s daughter-in-law, you might think that relations with one’s own daughter-in-law are also prohibited. These prohibitions are called “prohibitions due to commandments” due to the commandment to obey the words of the sages.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yevamot
גרושה וחלוצה לכהן הדיוט – such as, for example, that he (i.e., as a Kohen) transgressed his dead brother and had married a divorcee or a woman who had undergone Halitzah, and when he died, she needs Halitzah for Kiddushin/betrothal takes effect in those liable for violating negative commandments, but not levirate marriage, for she is prohibited to him, but to exempt/free her without anything is impossible, for it is not strong to release her, for we derive “her” from the wife’s sister, which is punishable by extirpation.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yevamot
“Prohibitions due to holiness” are prohibitions that are not due to incest (or adultery) but rather to the sanctity of the priests (see Leviticus 21:6-7) or the sanctity of the people of Israel. A widow to a high priest: If a widow becomes liable for yibbum to a high priest, he must perform halitzah for her. He cannot have yibbum with her because she is prohibited to him (Leviticus 21:14). A divorced woman or one that had performed halitzah to a regular priest: If a previously divorced woman or a woman who had halitzath, should become liable for yibbum with a regular priest, she must perform halitzah and cannot have yibbum, since she is prohibited to him (Leviticus 21:7). Note that this situation will usually not happen because a divorced woman or one who had halitzah cannot marry a priest, and therefore, she should not have married the yavam’s (who is a priest) brother, who is also a priest. Nevertheless, if the brother transgressed and did marry a divorcee (marriage between a priest and a divorcee is prohibited but valid), and then died, the divorcee (who is now also a widow) has halitzah with the brother but not yibbum. A mamzereth or a netinah to an Israelite and an Israelite woman to a natin or a mamzer: A mamzer (or mamzereth, a female mamzer) is the child of a forbidden union (Deuteronomy 23:3. The definition of a mamzer appears in chapter 4:13). A natin (or a netinah, a female natin) is a descendent of a tribe of foreigners who converted through trickery in the days of Joshua and were declared temple slaves (Joshua 9:27). Neither of these categories of men or women can marry full Israelites. Therefore, if one of these people becomes liable to have yibbum with an Israelite, or if an Israelite becomes liable to have yibbum with one of them, they have halitzah and not yibbum.
