Jeśli ktoś przywiezie towar z zagranicy i powie: „Przede mną to było napisane, a przede mną podpisane” [Musi to powiedzieć, jak wyjaśniono w Gittin — według jednego poglądu, ponieważ (za granicą) nie są zaznajomieni (wiedza, że trzeba napisać get) lishmah — do jego konkretnego końca —a według innego poglądu, ponieważ świadkowie zaświadczający nie są tam powszechnie dostępni], nie może on poślubić swojej żony (rozwodzącej się). [Albowiem mamy tylko jego świadectwo, na którym możemy polegać (a on może kłamać, aby ją poślubić)]. Jeśli powie: „Umarł”, „Zabiłem go” lub „Zabiliśmy go”, nie może poślubić swojej żony. [Ponieważ ona wychodzi za mąż na podstawie jego zeznań, można mówić, że „rzucił na nią wzrok” i fałszywie zeznał, że może ją poślubić. Ale może poślubić innego; bo kobieta może wyjść za mąż na podstawie zeznania jednego świadka]. R. Juda mówi: Jeśli powie: „Ja go zabiłem”, jego żona nie może wyjść za mąż [na podstawie jego zeznania, nawet z innym. Ponieważ jest złoczyńcą (według własnego uznania); a Tora zabrania świadectwa złoczyńcy. Ale halacha nie jest zgodna z R. Judą, gdyż jest to orzeczenie, że człowiek nie czyni siebie złoczyńcą, będąc „troskliwym” o siebie. Wierzymy więc, że ten drugi został zabity; ale nie to, że go zabił. Więc nawet jeśli powie: „Zabiłem go”, jego żona może wyjść za mąż.] [Gemara wyjaśnia to („Zabiliśmy go”) w ten sposób: „Byłem z jego zabójcami, ale go nie zabiłem”].
Bartenura on Mishnah Yevamot
המביא גט ממדינת הים – he must state, “in my presence it was written and in my presence it was signed,” and the reason is explained in [Tractate] Gittin (see Bartenura commentary to Chapter 1, Mishnah 1) for [according to] one Master, because they are not expert in [writing the Jewish bill of divorce] for her sake, and to the [other] Master, because witnesses are not found to attest to it.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yevamot
Introduction
The second part of mishnah eight dealt with men who are suspected of having relations with women prohibited to them. Mishnah nine deals with men who are suspected of lying in order to free a woman of her husband so that they could marry her.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yevamot
לא ישא את אשתו – because we rely upon his word.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yevamot
A man who brings a bill of divorce from a country beyond the sea and states, “it was written in my presence and it was signed in my presence”, must not marry the [divorcer’s] wife. [Similarly, if one states] “he died”, “I killed him”, or “We killed him”, he must not marry his wife. Rabbi Judah said: [If he says], “ I killed him”, the woman may not marry [any one]; [If, he states], “We killed him”, the woman may marry. A messenger who brings a bill of divorce from overseas must state “It was written in my presence and signed in my presence”. This is to ensure that the divorce document was done properly and that the husband actually requested that it be given (we will learn these laws in tractate Gittin). Our mishnah teaches that the messenger is not allowed to marry the divorcer’s wife, lest the messenger fake the get in order to marry her. His participation in “freeing” her of her husband, disqualifies him from subsequently marrying her.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yevamot
מת הרגתיו וכו' – since it was upon his testimony that she married, and it is possible to slander, lest his eyes were upon her and he made a false testimony about her but she could marry to another, for a woman can be married [upon the testimony] of one witness.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yevamot
Similarly, if a man testifies that a woman’s husband is dead, he may not marry her. Jewish law generally does not allow testimony with less than two witnesses. However, in the case of testimony about the death of a man, testimony that will allow her to remarry as a widow, only one witness is required. Since this man is our sole means of knowing that she is a widow, he cannot marry her, lest he lie in order to marry her. Even if he says “I killed him” or “We killed him” he cannot marry her.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yevamot
ר"י אומר הרגתיו לא תנשא אשתו – through his testimony even to another because he is a wicked person, and the Torah stated (Exodus 23:1): “You shall not join hands with the guilty [to act as a malicious] witness,” but the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yehuda, for we hold that a person does not incriminate himself (i.e., his testimony against himself has no legal effect -see Tractate Sanhedrin 9b), for a person is considered a relative regarding himself, and we believe him that that he was killed, but we don’t believe him regarding what he said that he killed him, and therefore, even if he said that he killed him, you can marry his wife.”
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yevamot
A murderer is forbidden from testifying in a court of law. Therefore, according to Rabbi Judah, if one testifies that he murdered a woman’s husband, his testimony is disqualified and it turns out that there is no testimony to her husband’s death. Therefore, she cannot remarry. However, if he says, “We killed him” he may mean to say, “I was there when other people killed him”. Since he does not definitively say that he is a murderer, his testimony about the death of the woman’s husband is valid, and she may remarry.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yevamot
הרגנוהו תנשא אשתו – it is explained in the Gemara (Tractate Yevamot 25b) when he says: I was with those who killed him, but I did not kill him.
