Si deux hommes ont épousé deux femmes, et quand ils les ont prises en mariage (c'est-à-dire en concubinage), ils les ont (involontairement) échangées, elles sont responsables (pour un sacrifice pour le péché) en raison de l'adultère. S'ils étaient frères, ils sont responsables [en plus] du fait de la femme de leur frère. Et si elles étaient sœurs (elles sont en outre responsables) en raison de (l'interdiction de) prendre une femme et sa sœur. Et s'ils étaient niddoth (ils sont responsables en plus) en raison de (l'interdiction de vivre avec) un niddah. [Même si nous décidons qu'un interdit ne se superpose pas à un autre, cette tanna soutient qu'avec issur kollel (un interdit global), et issur mosif (un interdit surajouté), et issur bath-achath (un interdit simultané), comme dans ce Par exemple, un interdit est superposé à l'autre, et chacun a besoin d'une offrande pour le péché séparée.] Et ils sont séparés [pour ne pas retourner vers leurs maris] pendant trois mois, de peur d'être enceintes [et les enfants être mamzerim. Et il faut faire la distinction entre la semence qui est kasher et la semence qui ne l'est pas, afin qu'elle (ces dernières) ne soit pas attribuée à leurs maris)]. Et s'il s'agissait de mineurs incapables de porter, ils sont renvoyés immédiatement. Et si elles étaient les filles de Cohanim, elles sont inaptes à manger de la terumah [dans les maisons de leurs pères, même après la mort de leurs maris, et même si elles ont été échangées sans le savoir.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Yevamot
היו אחין – even because of [the prohibition of] marrying the wife of your brother, etc., and even though we hold that this prohibition does not take effect upon another prohibition, this Tanna/teacher holds that an inclusive prohibition and a prohibition that adds and a simultaneous prohibition, like here, that a prohibition occurs on top of another prohibition and he is liable to bring a sacrifice on each and every prohibited act [performed] (i.e., a person may sometimes consume one piece of food and incur the penalty of four sin-offerings and one guilt offering - see Talmud Yevamot 34a).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yevamot
Introduction
Our mishnah discusses all of the potential violations that could occur in a case where two brothers betroth two women and the women are accidentally switched when the two couples enter the bridal chamber (huppah). In other words, Reuven has relations with Shimon’s wife and vice versa. Note that the mishnah is only discussing a situation where this occurred accidentally. Had the switch been intentional, they would all be intentional adulterers and the men would have to divorce their wives.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yevamot
ומפרישין אותן – so that they will not return to their husbands.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yevamot
If two men betrothed two women, and as they were entering into the bridal chamber, they exchanged the one for the other, behold, they are guilty of having relations with a married woman. If they were brothers they are guilty of having relations with a brother’s wife. If they were sisters, they are guilty of having relations with a wife’s sister. If they were menstruants [they are guilty] of having relations with a menstruant. They must be kept apart for three months, lest they are pregnant. If they were minors incapable of bearing children, they may be returned [to their rightful husband] at once. If the women were of priestly families they are disqualified from eating terumah. At the time of the mishnah, in typical situations a man would betroth a woman and only some time later marry her. The marriage was actualized by him bringing her into the huppah, which was a true bridal chamber, and not the symbolic huppah used today. In the huppah the couple would have sexual relations. Once the woman is betrothed, she is considered like a full wife with regard to adultery. Therefore, if the two brides were switched, each brother who has relations with the other’s wife has violated the prohibition of adultery.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yevamot
שמא מעוברות הן – and the offspring will be illegitimate/Mamzerim and we need a probe to distinguish between kosher seed/offspring and disqualified seed/offspring (i.e., seed that was sewn in holiness and seed that was sown in unholiness) so that the fetuses will not be left in doubt with [regard to] their husbands.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yevamot
He has also violated the prohibition of having relations with your brother’s wife. See Leviticus 18:16 and 20:21.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yevamot
ואם היו כהנות – daughters of Kohanim.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yevamot
If they were sisters he has also violated the prohibition of having relations with one’s wife’s sister. See Leviticus Leviticus 18:18.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yevamot
נפסלו מתרומה – from eating heave-offering (i.e., Priest’s due) of the house of her father, even after the death of her husband, and even though she was a ravaged woman.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yevamot
If they were menstruating, the brothers have violated the prohibition of having relations with a menstruant. See Leviticus 18:19.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yevamot
Before each wife can return to having relations with her lawful husband, she must wait three months, lest she was impregnated on her wedding night. The three months allows us to recognize whether the child is from the wrong husband. If she was impregnated by the wrong husband, the child will be a mamzer. If she was a minor who could not become pregnant, the three month waiting period is unnecessary.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yevamot
If these women were from priestly families, they will no longer be allowed to eat terumah, for any woman who has had relations with someone forbidden to her, can no longer marry a priest or eat terumah. If her husband should die without children, she does not return to her priestly family and resume eating terumah, as would a normal widow in such a situation (see Leviticus 22:13).
