Talking Talmud

When the time of severe mourning or a "chuppat niddah" changes the wedding night. Similarly, how her standing as a virgin can make a difference. Also, a focus on mourning and the leniencies (if there are any) for the bride or groom in mourning.

Talking about... divorce. In the context of unavoidable circumstances. For example, when a husband gives his wife a conditional divorce, to prevent her from being on limbo, or needing yibum. Also, some historical context. The sages stipulations regarding day of marriage was from the time of Ezra - because before then, the court met every day, and any woman could marry on any day. The sages or elde...

Introducing the tractate of Ketubot, including the question of defining virginity. And diving right in to the first mishnah - what day of the week is reserved for virgins to marry, as compared to widows? What if there are interferences to this schedule? From the bride's niddah status to the groom's illness to the bride's illness - at what point does his obligation to support her (as per the terms...

Another daf of mishnayot (3 of them), and then closing Masekhet Yevamot. First: Testimony as to a person's death can be seen in candlelight or moonlight, or hearsay from a "bat kol," a "heavenly" voice (in this case, where the voice is heard without finding the speaker later, in contrast to other bat kol stories from the heavens). Also, a story from Neharda'a because of intercalating the year... W...

Opening with another mishnah on the identification of bodies - specifically, if one fell into water. Depending on the conditions, one may well be presumed to have survived such a fall. What's the difference between bodies of water that clearly have boundaries and those that do not? Also, the story of the daughter of Nechuniyah the digger of cisterns, who fell into the Great Cistern, and how R. Han...

The CSI episode: How those testifying to the death of a person were able to identify the given body as dead. Even seeing that wild animals were eating the person is not enough to be sure he didn't make it. Likewise, more than 3 days after a death, depending on circumstances, risks decomposition impeding identification. Plus, the story of how one changed his appearance with wax - to the point of no...

Starting the last chapter of Yevamot... A woman travels with both her husband and a co-wife, and when she returns, the claim is made that her husband died. Can she marry, or does she have to do yibum? But what about the impact of the co-wife? What if the co-wife is pregnant (and then there would be no need for yibum)? Similar questions arise with regard to other comparable demographics. At the end...

More mishnayot! Two women who are married to the same man and one claims he has died, and the other says he has not - the status of the women is largely dependent on their respective claims. What if the disagree only in the manner of his death? What if there are third-party witnesses who contradict? Also, a couple that travels and the wife comes back and says the husband died - her testimony will...

Mishnayot! A women who testifies that her husband has died can remarry, but does she get the ketubah money? It's a machloket between Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai, and one that Beit Shammai wins. Also, the 5 women whose testimony is not believed regarding a man's death because they are too likely to have it in for his potential widow. Plus, the difference between a bill of divorce and the testimony...

When a husband and wife have quarreled, it calls into question her testimony in the event if his death. But the Gemara acknowledges that bickering can be part of marriage, and that too-extreme statements promising divorce, for example, can be said in the heat of the moment, without it meaning anything of significance about the marriage itself. Including the narrative of how people chose the right...

Cases that make the mishnah of the previous daf tangible and practical, including the case of immolation (apparently) of a man on his wedding day, where his wife scres out to bring everyone's attention to him.... But then he's unrecognizable. Is she believed? Could the husband have escaped alive? Another case makes it clear that the real topic is not marriage, but testimony: the division and claim...

How does the Gemara approach families with different levels of observance. We also start a new perek today which explores the parameters of single witness testimonies regarding another person’s death.

A deaf-mute woman is not entitled to a ketubah. Why not? What is the rationale? It seems to be left to the husband to decide. Illustrated by a story of R. Malkiyu, who established a ketubah for a deaf-mute woman, even though it wasn't mandated. Also, exploring the deaf-mute man who cannot divorce his wife, but the deaf-mute woman can be divorced - which is the the obvious case here? Note, not only...

Apologies for the late release - technical difficulties that never happened before and are unlikely to happen again. Thank you for understanding. || The end of chapter 13: when one swears off various things - specifically with implications for marriage, including one who swears off having any kind of relationship with Jews. What are the baseline assumptions in taking a vow? Had she thought it thro...

1/3 of the way through the Talmud!! Another daf with 2 mishnayot, one long with little Gemara, one shorter, with a lot of Gemara. First, another case of 2 orphan minor girl's who are married to one man - what happens when the yavam sleeps with both of these potential Yevamot? And other comparable cases (deaf-mutes again, etc.). Also, a mishnah on divorce with these minor wives - which must wait un...

How to change a rabbinic kiddushin to a Torah-level kiddushin? Plus, a story of kidnapping, essentially, from the moment of marriage - or chuppah, at least. Which leaves a second marriage in her case as not significant. But is this story representative?! Kidnapping isn't a normal marriage. Also, a new mishnah: a man who is married to two minors who are orphans, and he dies - what is the yibum/chal...

A new mishnah! Can a couple that divorces remarry each other? How does that affect yibum? And a other mishnah: A case of two brothers who are married to two minor sisters. What happens in the case of one of the brother's death (if he dies without children)? Likewise, the case of deaf-mute women. Namely, rabbinic kiddushin. But an adult and a minor mixes things up. Also, the sages take on more deta...

A mishnah from 107b: defining a minor girl, who would then need to and be able to refuse a betrothal organized by her mother or brother. She needs to have a level of understanding of what's going on. The Gemara gives us way to determine whether she has the ability to take enough responsibility to protect it... The sages are adding layers of protection but establishing by okaying limitations. Plus,...

A new chapter, a new mishnah, and a new topic: miyun - refusal. When a minor girl is in the charge of her family who wants to marry her off - she's allowed to refuse the husband, and nullify a betrothal that has been established between them. The question is whether this kind of refusal works both for a (regular) husband and for a yavam. Also, how many men can she refuse in this way? Also, spotlig...

During the process of yibum/chalitzah - when a yevamah refuses to stand because she's refusing yibum, and insisting on chalitzah. The sage then advises her how to maneuver to ensure that she isn't stuck in an unwanted yibum - but does that work? And if it does, is it ethical? Also, a new mishnah, the last of the chapter. It reviews specific procedure of chalitzah in court. Plus, R. Hyrcanus and re...

Levi goes out to teach Torah in a village, and the people stump him with 3 questions, two of which are about chalitzah. Plus, the family of Eli (and descendants) and God's anger and promise that they would die young - and how Torah and/or gemilut chasadim proved an antidote. Also, a scene of the beit midrash, R. Yehudah HaNasi, and a sage who is rebuked by a shamash as not being on the level, but...

2 new mishnayot, on more practical details and requirements of chalitzah. 1. Can you do chalitzah at night? Can you do chalitzah on the wrong foot? Plus, how does it compare to tzara'at in certain requirements? 2. What if only 2 of the 3 component elements of chalitzah are completed? Is that chalitzah valid? Well, it depends on which of the 3 are completed (removal of the shoe, spitting, reading o...

The Gemara springboards off the "foot" that wears the chalitzah shoe to biblical verses that include the Hebrew word, "regel" that come to be interpreted euphemistically. Including a focus on the story of Yael and Sisera. Also, what about the case of tzara'at and its quarantine time, with the question of implications for chalitzah.

More on the practicalities of chalitzah. To what extent does the chalitzah close the door on the relationship between yavam and yevama? Plus, testimony as to what shoe was in use for chalitzah, and why there was a machloket over the shoe. Also, how do we know that the root of the word "chalitzah" means to remove (as in, removing the yavam from the yevama)? Including Rabban Gamliel's scorn at a poo...

Chapter 12! On chalitzah. The process of what happens before the court, and what kind of shoe the yavam needs to be wearing, and even what happens if he's an amputee. Also: Real life examples of chalitzah (in marked contrast to the absence of real life examples of yibum) || The video of crafting the chalitzah shoe: youtube.com/watch?v=6QzT_li3moE&ab_channel=AllDaf