Yevamot 109 - June 24, 25 Sivan

Today's daf is sponsored by Art Gould & Carol Robinson on the occasion of their 49th wedding anniversary. "We met each other at Hillel House in the summer of 1971 and have been inseparable since our very first Shabbat together. For once in his life Art knew the right thing to say - "Sit with me and I will get you a siddur."(She said yes!) We are grateful to HaShem and to Carol's medical team for bringing us to this day. And for Carol, who always knows the right thing to say and the right thing to do... רַבּ֣וֹת בָּ֭נוֹת עָ֣שׂוּ חָ֑יִל וְ֝אַ֗תְּ עָלִ֥ית עַל־כֻּלָּֽנָה"

There is a debate between Rabbi Elazar and the rabbis about a woman who remarries her husband after getting divorced - if he dies childless, can she do yibum. They have the same debate regarding a minor in this situation. If she was married off by her father and divorced, she is no longer considered under her father's responsibility (meaning that he can't marry her off), even if she is still a minor. So if the husband remarries her, all agree that there is no yibum as by Torah law, she is considered divorced, since her ability to remarry was only of rabbinical law, and one is forbidden to marry the brother of one's divorced husband. The Gemara brings four different explanations for Rabbi Elazar who forbids yibum in all the cases. According to Rabbi Elazar, the rival wife in these cases can do yibum. If two brothers are married to two minor sisters (married off by their mother or brother) or two deaf-mutes, if one dies, the other is exempt from yibum as she falls to yibum to her sister's husband. But if one sister was a minor and the deceased's wife was not a minor, what happens with yibum? Three opinions are brought in the Mishna. One suggestion is to encourage the minor to refuse him so that her sister can do yibum. The Gemara questions this with a braita that lists three actions one should pursue and three that one should avoid and refusal is listed with the actions to avoid - so how is it that we encourage this minor to refuse? An exception is made here because it is in order to allow the fulfillment of yibum. The six actions listed are discussed more in-depth. In the case where a minor's sister fell to yibum to her husband, Rabban Gamliel held that we wait until the minor gets older and then the yevama becomes exempt from yibum. Rav explains (in answer to a question from  Rabbi Elazar) that the marriage of the minor becomes a Torah law marriage which will exempt the sister only when they engage in intercourse after she becomes of age. Based on this, Rabban Gamliel exempts the older sister as he must hold that one who betroths his yevama's sister, exempts the yevama. Rav Sheshet questions this assumption of Rav based on a braita but Ravin is able to explain the braita to work with Rav's understanding.