Yevamot 15

הָאִשָּׁה שֶׁהָלְכָה הִיא וּבַעְלָהּ לִמְדִינַת הַיָּם, שָׁלוֹם בֵּינוֹ לְבֵינָהּ וְשָׁלוֹם בָּעוֹלָם, וּבָאתָה וְאָמְרָה, מֵת בַּעְלִי, תִּנָּשֵׂא. מֵת בַּעְלִי, תִּתְיַבֵּם. שָׁלוֹם בֵּינוֹ לְבֵינָהּ וּמִלְחָמָה בָעוֹלָם, קְטָטָה בֵינוֹ לְבֵינָהּ וְשָׁלוֹם בָּעוֹלָם, וּבָאתָה וְאָמְרָה, מֵת בַּעְלִי, אֵינָהּ נֶאֱמֶנֶת. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, לְעוֹלָם אֵינָהּ נֶאֱמֶנֶת, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן בָּאתָה בוֹכָה וּבְגָדֶיהָ קְרוּעִין. אָמְרוּ לוֹ, אַחַת זוֹ וְאַחַת זוֹ, תִּנָּשֵׂא:

A woman who went abroad with her husband — if there were peace between him and her, and peace in the world, and she came and said: My husband died, she may remarry. [("If there were peace between him and her":) For if there were strife between him and her, (we entertain the apprehension that) perhaps she is motivated by hatred to forbid herself to him. ("and peace in the world":) For if it were a time of danger, perhaps, when she saw that he was long in returning, she assumed that he had certainly been killed by bandits. Or else, she had seen him struck down in battle and assumed that he had certainly been killed. But, in peace-time, if she had not seen him killed, she would certainly apprehend the obloquy of his returning after she had remarried (so that she would not remarry unless she were certain that he were dead.)] If there were peace between him and her, and war in the world, or strife between him and her and peace in the world, and she came and said: My husband died, she is not believed. R. Yehudah says: She is never believed unless she came crying with her clothes rent. [The halachah is not in accordance with him.] They said to him: [Should a pikachath, then, (who is clever enough to dissimulate mourning) be permitted to remarry, and a shotah (one who is not a pikachath) not be permitted to remarry? Rather,] both the one and the other may remarry.

בֵּית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, לֹא שָׁמַעְנוּ אֶלָּא בְּבָאָה מִן הַקָּצִיר, וּבְאוֹתָהּ מְדִינָה, וּכְמַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁהָיָה. אָמְרוּ לָהֶן בֵּית שַׁמַּאי, אַחַת הַבָּאָה מִן הַקָּצִיר, וְאַחַת הַבָּאָה מִן הַזֵּיתִים, וְאַחַת הַבָּאָה מִן הַבָּצִיר, וְאַחַת הַבָּאָה מִמְּדִינָה לִמְדִינָה. לֹא דִבְּרוּ חֲכָמִים בַּקָּצִיר אֶלָּא בַהֹוֶה. חָזְרוּ בֵית הִלֵּל לְהוֹרוֹת כְּבֵית שַׁמָּאי:

Beth Hillel say: We did not hear (that a woman is permitted to remarry) except when she came from the wheat harvest, and in the same province, and as in the (same) event that transpired, [where men went to harvest wheat, and a snake bit and killed one of them, and his wife came and apprised beth-din of it, and they sent and found her account to be correct. And the sages permitted (a woman to remarry) only in like circumstances — that it have occurred close at hand; but she was not believed (to testify) about what had transpired abroad.] Beth Shammai said to them: (She may remarry) whether she came from the wheat harvest, or the olive harvest, or the grape harvest, and from one province to another. The sages stated "wheat harvest" only in that such happened to be the case, [but the same applies to all places] — whereupon Beth Hillel retracted (their ruling) to rule according to Beth Shammai.

בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים, תִּנָּשֵׂא וְתִטֹּל כְּתֻבָּתָהּ. בֵּית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, תִּנָּשֵׂא וְלֹא תִטֹּל כְּתֻבָּתָהּ. אָמְרוּ לָהֶן בֵּית שַׁמַּאי, הִתַּרְתֶּם עֶרְוָה חֲמוּרָה, לֹא תַתִּירוּ אֶת מָמוֹן הַקַּל. אָמְרוּ לָהֶן בֵּית הִלֵּל, מָצִינוּ שֶׁאֵין הָאַחִים נִכְנָסִים לַנַּחֲלָה עַל פִּיהָ. אָמְרוּ לָהֶם בֵּית שַׁמַּאי, וַהֲלֹא מִסֵּפֶר כְּתֻבָּתָהּ נִלְמֹד, שֶׁהוּא כוֹתֵב לָהּ, שֶׁאִם תִּנָּשְׂאִי לְאַחֵר, תִּטְּלִי מַה שֶׁכָּתוּב לִיכִי. וְחָזְרוּ בֵית הִלֵּל לְהוֹרוֹת כְּדִבְרֵי בֵית שַׁמָּאי:

Beth Shammai say: She marries and she takes her kethubah (payment). Beth Hillel say: She marries and does not take her kethubah — whereupon Beth Shammai said to them: You permitted an ervah, which is more stringent, and you did not permit money, which is less stringent! Beth Hillel answered: We have found that her brothers do not enter the inheritance [of her husband] by her testimony, [it being written (Deuteronomy 19:15): "By word of two witnesses, etc.", but vis-à-vis her marrying, the rabbis were lenient, so that she not remain an agunah.] Beth Shammai rejoined: But should we not learn (the ruling) from the scroll of her kethubah, [i.e., from the formula of the kethubah deed], where he writes to her: "If you marry another, take what is written (over) to you," [and she did remarry, wherefore she should take her kethubah!] — whereupon Beth Hillel retracted (their ruling) to rule according to Beth Shammai.

הַכֹּל נֶאֱמָנִים לַהֲעִידָהּ, חוּץ מֵחֲמוֹתָהּ, וּבַת חֲמוֹתָהּ, וְצָרָתָהּ, וִיבִמְתָּהּ, וּבַת בַּעְלָהּ. מַה בֵּין גֵּט לְמִיתָה, שֶׁהַכְּתָב מוֹכִיחַ. עֵד אוֹמֵר מֵת, וְנִשֵּׂאת, וּבָא אַחֵר וְאָמַר לֹא מֵת, הֲרֵי זוֹ לֹא תֵצֵא. עֵד אוֹמֵר מֵת, וּשְׁנַיִם אוֹמְרִים לֹא מֵת, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנִּשֵּׂאת, תֵּצֵא. שְׁנַיִם אוֹמְרִים מֵת, וְעֵד אוֹמֵר לֹא מֵת, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא נִשֵּׂאת, תִּנָּשֵׂא:

All are trusted to testify (that her husband had died) except her mother-in-law, the daughter of her mother-in-law, her tzarah, her yevamah, and her husband's daughter. [The reason for all is that they hate her and desire her undoing. Her mother-in-law hates her, thinking: This one will "eat" all of my toil! The daughter of her mother-in-law hates her, thinking: This one will inherit all the toil of my father and mother! Her yevamah fears lest in the end she will be her tzarah. Her husband's daughter thinks: This one came in my mother's place and "ate" all of her toil!] What is the difference between get and death, [that we say that even those women who are not trusted to say that her husband has died are trusted to bring her get]? For the writing confirms it, [i.e., for we rely primarily upon the get (even though we also rely upon them, their being required to say: "Before me it was written, and before me it was signed.")] If one witness came and said: "He died, and she remarried," [not necessarily that she remarried, but that they permitted her to remarry], and another came and said that he did not die, she does not leave [her first sanction.] If one witness said that he died, and two said that he did not die, even if she had remarried, she is sent out. [This, in an instance where the two are unfit to testify. We are being apprised that since the Torah believed one witness (in this regard), the institution of witnesses does not (technically) obtain here, and that just as (the testimony of) one witness is entertained here, so (the testimony of) those unfit to testify is also entertained, and the majority deposition is followed, whether (the witnesses are) fit or unfit.] If two said he died, and one said that he did not die, even if she had not yet remarried, she may do so. [We are hereby apprised that the majority deposition is followed in an instance of unfit witnesses, whether for leniency or for stringency.]

אַחַת אוֹמֶרֶת מֵת וְאַחַת אוֹמֶרֶת לֹא מֵת, זוֹ שֶׁאוֹמֶרֶת מֵת תִּנָּשֵׂא וְתִטֹּל כְּתֻבָּתָהּ. וְזוֹ שֶׁאוֹמֶרֶת לֹא מֵת לֹא תִנָּשֵׂא וְלֹא תִטֹּל כְּתֻבָּתָהּ. אַחַת אוֹמֶרֶת מֵת וְאַחַת אוֹמֶרֶת נֶהֱרָג, רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר, הוֹאִיל וּמַכְחִישׁוֹת זוֹ אֶת זוֹ, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ לֹא יִנָּשֵׂאוּ. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמְרִים, הוֹאִיל וְזוֹ וָזוֹ מוֹדוֹת שֶׁאֵינוֹ קַיָּם, יִנָּשֵׂאוּ. עֵד אוֹמֵר מֵת וְעֵד אוֹמֵר לֹא מֵת, אִשָּׁה אוֹמֶרֶת מֵת וְאִשָּׁה אוֹמֶרֶת לֹא מֵת, הֲרֵי זוֹ לֹא תִנָּשֵׂא:

If one said that he died and one said that he did not die [(Two tzaroth came from abroad. One said: "My husband died"; the other: "He did not die.")] — the one who says that he died may remarry and take her kethubah. The one who said he did not die may not remarry and may not take her kethubah. If one said that he died (naturally), and the other, that he had been killed, R. Meir says: Since they contradict each other, they may not remarry. [The halachah is not in accordance with him.] R. Yehudah and R. Shimon say: Since both admit that he is not living, they may remarry. If one witness said that he died, and another that he did not die; if one woman said that he died, and another that he did not die, she may not remarry.

הָאִשָּׁה שֶׁהָלְכָה הִיא וּבַעְלָהּ לִמְדִינַת הַיָּם, וּבָאָה וְאָמְרָה מֵת בַּעְלִי, תִּנָּשֵׂא וְתִטֹּל כְּתֻבָּתָהּ, וְצָרָתָהּ אֲסוּרָה. הָיְתָה בַת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְכֹהֵן, תֹּאכַל בַּתְּרוּמָה, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי טַרְפוֹן. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, אֵין זוֹ דֶרֶךְ מוֹצִיאַתָּה מִידֵי עֲבֵרָה, עַד שֶׁתְּהֵא אֲסוּרָה לִנָּשֵׂא, וַאֲסוּרָה מִלֶּאֱכֹל בַּתְּרוּמָה:

If a woman went abroad with her husband, and she returned and said: My husband died, she may remarry and take her kethubah, and her tzarah is forbidden (to remarry). If she [the tzarah] were the daughter of an Israelite (married) to a Cohein, she eats terumah [on the assumption that her husband is alive, the testimony of her tzarah not being entertained vis-à-vis her; for since she is not believed to allow her to remarry, she is not believed to render her unfit for terumah. And this is the halachah.] These are the words of R. Tarfon. R. Akiva said: In this way she will not be removed from transgression; but she is forbidden to remarry, and she is forbidden to eat terumah.

אָמְרָה מֵת בַּעְלִי וְאַחַר כָּךְ מֵת חָמִי, תִּנָּשֵׂא וְתִטֹּל כְּתֻבָּתָהּ, וַחֲמוֹתָהּ אֲסוּרָה. הָיְתָה בַת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְכֹהֵן, תֹּאכַל בַּתְּרוּמָה, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי טַרְפוֹן. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, אֵין זוֹ דֶרֶךְ מוֹצִיאַתָּה מִידֵי עֲבֵרָה, עַד שֶׁתְּהֵא אֲסוּרָה לִנָּשֵׂא, וַאֲסוּרָה לֶאֱכֹל בַּתְּרוּמָה. קִדֵּשׁ אַחַת מֵחָמֵשׁ נָשִׁים וְאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ אֵיזוֹ קִדֵּשׁ, כָּל אַחַת אוֹמֶרֶת אוֹתִי קִדֵּשׁ, נוֹתֵן גֵּט לְכָל אַחַת וְאֶחָת, וּמַנִּיחַ כְּתֻבָּה בֵּינֵיהֶן וּמִסְתַּלֵּק, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי טַרְפוֹן. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, אֵין זוֹ דֶרֶךְ מוֹצִיאַתּוּ מִידֵי עֲבֵרָה, עַד שֶׁיִּתֵּן גֵּט וּכְתֻבָּה לְכָל אַחַת וְאֶחָת. גָּזַל אֶחָד מֵחֲמִשָּׁה וְאֵין יוֹדֵעַ מֵאֵיזֶה גָזַל, כָּל אֶחָד אוֹמֵר אוֹתִי גָזַל, מַנִּיחַ גְּזֵלָה בֵּינֵיהֶן וּמִסְתַּלֵּק, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי טַרְפוֹן. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, אֵין זוֹ דֶרֶךְ מוֹצִיאַתּוּ מִידֵי עֲבֵרָה, עַד שֶׁיְּשַׁלֵּם גְּזֵלָה לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד:

If she said: My husband died and then my father-in-law died, she may remarry and take her kethubah; and her mother-in-law is forbidden (to remarry). If she (her mother-in-law) were the daughter of an Israelite married to a Cohein, she eats terumah. These are the words of R. Tarfon. [In this instance, too, the halachah is in accordance with R. Tarfon; but in the instance of his betrothing one of five women and not knowing which one he betrothed, and, likewise, in the instance of his robbing one of five and not knowing which one, in both cases the halachah is in accordance with R. Akiva.] R. Akiva said: In this way she will not be removed from transgression; but she is forbidden to remarry and she is forbidden to eat terumah. If he betrothed one of five women and did not know which he betrothed, and each says: He betrothed me, he gives a get to each one, places a kethubah among them, and "betakes himself." These are the words of R. Tarfon. R. Akiva says: In this way he will not be removed from transgression; but he must give a get and a kethubah to each one. If he robbed one of five and did not know which one he robbed, and each says: He robbed me, he places the stolen object among them, and "betakes himself." These are the words of R. Tarfon. R. Akiva says: In this way he will not be removed from transgression, but he must pay each one (the amount of) the stolen object.

הָאִשָּׁה שֶׁהָלְכָה הִיא וּבַעְלָהּ לִמְדִינַת הַיָּם וּבְנָהּ עִמָּהֶם, וּבָאָה וְאָמְרָה מֵת בַּעְלִי וְאַחַר כָּךְ מֵת בְּנִי, נֶאֱמֶנֶת. מֵת בְּנִי וְאַחַר כָּךְ מֵת בַּעְלִי, אֵינָהּ נֶאֱמֶנֶת, וְחוֹשְׁשִׁים לִדְבָרֶיהָ, וְחוֹלֶצֶת וְלֹא מִתְיַבֶּמֶת:

If a woman and her husband went abroad, their son with them, and she returned and said: My husband died and then my son died, she is believed. [Since she had a son, and was not in a status of (potential) yibum linkage when she left, now, too, when she says: My husband died and then my son died, claiming not to have yibum linkage, she is believed.] (But if she said:) My son died and then my husband died, [desiring to be taken in yibum], she is not believed. And [if she wishes to marry "in the marketplace" (i.e., outside of yibum)], we are apprehensive of her words, [for she had declared herself to be forbidden to others]; and she receives chalitzah and is not taken in yibum.

נִתַּן לִי בֵן בִּמְדִינַת הַיָּם, וְאָמְרָה מֵת בְּנִי וְאַחַר כָּךְ מֵת בַּעְלִי, נֶאֱמֶנֶת. מֵת בַּעְלִי וְאַחַר כָּךְ מֵת בְּנִי, אֵינָהּ נֶאֱמֶנֶת, וְחוֹשְׁשִׁים לִדְבָרֶיהָ, וְחוֹלֶצֶת וְלֹא מִתְיַבֶּמֶת:

(If she said:) A son was given (i.e., born) to me abroad, and my son died and then my husband died, [not releasing herself from her original status, still requiring yibum according to her words], she is believed [and she is permitted to be taken in yibum. (If she said:) My husband died and then: My son died, she is not believed [to marry "in the marketplace" without chalitzah; for when the sages believed a woman, it is only in relation to her husband that they believed her, assuming that she would remarry only after making certain (that he had died): but they did not believe her relative to releasing herself from yibum, in that she might possibly be motivated by hatred (for the yavam).] And we are apprehensive of her words [i.e., that they are designed to free her from yibum], and she receives chalitzah and is not taken in yibum.

נִתַּן לִי יָבָם בִּמְדִינַת הַיָּם, אָמְרָה מֵת בַּעְלִי וְאַחַר כָּךְ מֵת יְבָמִי, יְבָמִי וְאַחַר כָּךְ בַּעְלִי, נֶאֱמֶנֶת. הָלְכָה הִיא וּבַעְלָהּ וִיבָמָהּ לִמְדִינַת הַיָּם, אָמְרָה מֵת בַּעְלִי וְאַחַר כָּךְ מֵת יְבָמִי, יְבָמִי וְאַחַר כָּךְ בַּעְלִי, אֵינָהּ נֶאֱמֶנֶת. שֶׁאֵין הָאִשָּׁה נֶאֱמֶנֶת לוֹמַר מֵת יְבָמִי, שֶׁתִּנָּשֵׂא. וְלֹא, מֵתָה אֲחוֹתִי, שֶׁתִּכָּנֵס לְבֵיתוֹ. וְאֵין הָאִישׁ נֶאֱמָן לוֹמַר מֵת אָחִי, שֶׁיְּיַבֵּם אִשְׁתּוֹ. וְלֹא, מֵתָה אִשְׁתִּי, שֶׁיִּשָּׂא אֲחוֹתָהּ:

(If she said:) A yavam was given to me abroad [i.e., her mother-in-law had had a son abroad (and she had left in the status of not having a yavam)] — if she said (either): My husband died and then my yavam died, or: My yavam died and then my husband died, [permitting herself "to the marketplace" in both instances], she is believed [and is permitted "to the marketplace" as per her original status, "the mouth that forbids (by apprising us of the yavam) being the mouth that permits."] If she, her husband, and her yavam had gone abroad — if she said [either:] My husband died and then my yavam died, or: My yavam died and then my husband died, she is not believed, a woman not being believed to say: My yavam died, (for it is possible that she says so only) that she might remarry; and (she is not believed to say): My sister died, (for it is possible that she says so only) that she might enter his house (i.e., "the house" of the one who had married his sister.) And a man is not believed to say: My brother died, that he might take his wife in yibum; and (he is not believed to say): My wife died, that he might marry her sister.