Yevamot 112 - June 27, 28 Sivan

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Today’s daf is sponsored by Tina Lamm in honor of the “Tzevet Yevamot.” "Their brilliant graphics, along with Rabbanit Michelle’s teaching, literally saved me as we learned this difficult, but rewarding, masechet. Someone ought to design for them a graphic with a superhero cape!" 

If the yabam and yevama have moved in together with the purposes of performing the mitzvah of yibum, but she then claims that he did not have relations with her, and he claims he did, who is believed? According to the Mishna it depends if it was within thirty days or beyond as there is an assumption (chazaka) that if they were together for 30 days, one can assume they had intercourse. If we believe her, then we insist that the man do chalitza to enable her to remarry. Rav explains that the case being discussed is one in which he already gave her a get and that is why we insist he perform chalitza and not insist that he do yibum with her. A braita is quoted to raise a difficulty against Rav's explanation, however, two answers are brought. Women were once believed if they made a claim why they couldn't stay married - for example, my husband is incapable of having intercourse with me" and her husband would have to divorce her and give her the ketuba money, but once they say that women had set their eyes on another man and would make claims like this to get out of the marriage while receiving their ketuba money, they changed the law and either required proof when possible or requested from the husband to divorce her, but did not force him to. What is done if she makes a vow not to have intercourse with any Jewish man? Would this vow include the yabam as well, as during her marriage he was forbidden to her anyway (as her husband's brother)? Can we find an answer to this question from our Mishna? The Mishnayot of the fourteenth chapter describes various different situations regarding a deaf-mute, minor, etc. as it relates to marriage, divorce and yibum.  What if someone was competent when they got married and then became a deaf-mute or lost his/her mental capacity? What happens to the marriage - can they get divorced?