משנה: הֲרֵי אֵילּוּ פּוֹטְרוֹת צָרוֹתֵיהֶן וְצָרוֹת צָרוֹתֵיהֶן מִן הַחֲלִיצָה וּמִן הַייִבּוּם עַד סוֹף הָעוֹלָם. וְכוּלָּם אִם מֵתוּ אוֹ מֵיאֵנוּ אוֹ נִתְגָּֽרְשׁוּ אוֹ שֶׁנִּמְצְאוּ אַיילוֹנִיוֹת צָרוֹתֵיהֶן מוּתָּרוֹת. וְאֵי אַתְּ יָכוֹל לוֹמַר בַּחֲמוֹתוֹ וּבְאֵם חֲמוֹתוֹ שֶׁנִּמְצְאוּ אַיילוֹנִיוֹת אוֹ שֶׁמֵּיאֵינוּ. MISHNAH: All these free their co-wives and the co-wives of their co-wives from ḥalîṣah and levirate forever3If one of three brothers had married the second brother’s daughter and another woman, died childless, the other wife was married by the third brother who already had another wife, if the third also dies childless both of his widows are forbidden because one of them is forbidden. This scenario can be extended to n polygamous brothers; n arbitrary.. And all of these, if they died, or repudiated118Only a father can give his minor daughter in marriage. If the father died, mother or brother can marry her off, but this marriage is rabbinic only and the girl can walk out of the marriage as long as she is a minor by a simple declaration that she refuses to be married to this man., or were divorced, or found to be she-rams, their co-wives are permitted119An impediment to levirate must exist at the moment of death of the childless brother. If the relationship with the brother was dissolved before his death, it no longer has any influence.. But you cannot say about his mother-in-law or his mother-in-law’s mother that they were found to be she-rams or that they had repudiated120If they had a daughter they must have had marital relations when adult..
הלכה: הֲרֵי אֵילּוּ פּוֹטְרוֹת צָרוֹתֵיהֶן וְצָרוֹת צָרוֹתֵיהֶן מִן הַחֲלִיצָה וּמִן הַייִבּוּם כול׳. רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר. מְמֵאֵנֶת הִיא בְּיָבָם לַעֲקוֹר זִיקַת הַמֵּת לְהַתִּיר צָרָה לְאָבִיהָ וְכַלָּה לְחָמִיהָ. רַב וְרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ תְּרֵיהוֹן אָֽמְרִין. אֵינָהּ מְמֵאֵנֶת בְּיָבָם לַעֲקוֹר זִיקַת הַמֵּת וּלְהַתִּיר צָרָה לְאָבִיהָ וְכַלָּה לְחָמִיהָ. רַב וְרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ כְּבֵית שַׁמַּי. דְּבֵית שַׁמַּי אוֹמְרִים בְּבַעַל. מַה אֲנָן קַייָמִין. אִם בְּאוֹמֶרֶת. אֵי אֶיפְשִׁי לֹא בְנִישּׂוּאֵיךְ וְלֹא בְנִישּׂוּאֵי אָחִיךְ. כָּל־עַמָּא מוֹדֵיי שֶׁהִיא עוֹקֶרֵת. אֶלָּא כֵן אֲנָן קַייָמִין בְּאוֹמֶרֶת. אֵיפְשִׁי בְנִישּׂוּאִין. רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר. בְּאוֹמֶרֶת. אֵי אֶיפְשִׁי לֹא בְנִישּׂוּאֵיךְ וְלֹא בְנִישּׂוּאֵי אָחִיךְ. רַב וְרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ תְּרֵיהוֹן אָֽמְרִין. בְּאוֹמֶרֶת. אֵי אֶיפְשִׁי בְנִישּׂוּאֵיךְ אֲבָל בְּנִישּׂוּאֵי אָחִיךְ רוֹצָה אֲנִי. מַתְנִיתָא פְלִיגָא עַל רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. וְכוּלָּן אִם מֵתוּ אוֹ מֵיאֵינוּ אוֹ נִתְגָּֽרְשׁוּ אוֹ שֶׁנִּמְצְאוּ אַיילוֹנִיוֹת צָרוֹתֵיהֶן מוּתָּרוֹת. נִתְגָּֽרְשׁוּ וְלֹא הִימֶּינּוּ. וְדִכְװָתָהּ מֵיאֵינוּ הִימֶּינּוּ. תַּנֵּי רִבִּי חִייָה כֵן. אִם מֵיאֵינוּ אוֹ נִתְגָּֽרְשׁוּ בְחַיֵי הַבַּעַל צָרוֹתֵיהֶן מוּתָּרוֹת. לְאַחַר מִיתַת הַבַּעַל צָרוֹתֵיהֶן חוֹלְצוֹת וְלֹא מִתְייַבְּמוֹת. HALAKHAH: “All these free their co-wives and the co-wives of their co-wives from ḥalîṣah and levirate, etc.” 121The main place of this Halakhah is Halakhah 13:1. Rebbi Joḥanan said, she may repudiate the levir to invalidate the claim of the dead brother, to permit the co-wife to her father, and the daughter-in-law to her father-in-law122If the girl walks out of the marriage, the marriage did never exist. The co-wife after ḥalîṣah is permitted to the girl’s father in case the father had lost his guardianship over the daughter (see below). She herself is permitted to her non-husband’s father.
The Babli, 12a, agrees that repudiation of the levir invalidates the marriage to the dead brother but nevertheless in this case forbids the girl to the father-in-law (a Babylonian baraita).. Rav and Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish both say, she may not repudiate the levir to invalidate the claim of the dead brother, to permit the co-wife to her father, and the daughter-in-law to her father-in-law. Do Rav and Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish follow the house of Shammai, since the House of Shammai say “the husband”123Mishnah 13:1; the House of Shammai limit repudiation strictly to the husband even if the widow is a minor. It would be very unusual if practice were to follow the House of Shammai against the declared opinion of the House of Hillel.? Where do we hold? If she says, I can stand neither the marriage with your brother nor with you, everybody agrees that she invalidates124Reading of Halakhah 13:1. The ms. here reads “does not invalidate”. The practice is that of the House of Hillel.. But we hold in case she says “I cannot stand marriage125Without spelling out which marriage.”. Rebbi Joḥanan said, I can stand neither the marriage with your brother nor with you. Rav and Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish both say, she says I cannot stand marriage with you but marriage with your brother I want. The Mishnah disagrees with Rebbi Joḥanan: “And all of these, if they died, or repudiated, or were divorced, or found to be she-rams, their co-wives are permitted.” Was she not divorced from him? Similarly, she repudiated him126The first husband in his lifetime.. Rebbi Ḥiyya stated: If they repudiated or were divorced in the husband’s lifetime, their co-wives are permitted127To the brothers in levirate. The marriage of a minor except through the father is only rabbinic and cannot eliminate the biblical requirement of levirate or ḥalîṣah. But levirate cannot be tolerated since that would show that the rabbinically valid marriage is a sham.. After the husband’s death their co-wives perform ḥalîṣah but not levirate.
אָמַר רִבִּי יוּדָן אָבוֹי דְּרִבִּי מַתָּנְיָת. תִּיפְתָּר שֶׁמֵּתוּ וְלֹא מֵיאֵנוּ. דְּמַתְנִיתָא. כָּל־הַיְּכוֹלָה לְמָאֵן וְלֹא מֵיאֵינָה צָרָתָהּ חוֹלֶצֶת וְלֹא מִתְיַבֶּמֶת. כֵּן מַתְנִיתָא. כָּל־הַיְּכוֹלָה לְמָאֵן וְלֹא מֵיאֵנָה וּמֵתָה צָרָתָהּ חוֹלֶצֶת וְלֹא מִתְיַיבֶּמֶת. אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא מָרִי. אֲפִילוּ תֵימַר בְּקַייֶמֶת. תִּיפְתָּר שֶׁאֵין שָׁם יָבָם אַחֵר אֶלָּא אָבִיהָ. Rebbi Yudan, the father of Rebbi Mattaniah said: Explain it when they died without having repudiated since there is a Mishnah128Mishnah 1:4.: “If a woman could repudiate but did not do so, her co-wife performs ḥalîṣah but cannot be married in levirate127To the brothers in levirate. The marriage of a minor except through the father is only rabbinic and cannot eliminate the biblical requirement of levirate or ḥalîṣah. But levirate cannot be tolerated since that would show that the rabbinically valid marriage is a sham..” So is the Mishnah: “If a woman could repudiate but did not dies, her co-wife performs ḥalîṣah but cannot be married in levirate.” Rebbi Abba Mari said, you may even say if she still lives; explain it if her father is the only levir129Since at the moment of the husband’s death the rabbinic marriage of the daughter was still presumed to be valid and the daughter cannot repudiate her father, there is no way to circumvent the prohibition of levirate..
רִבִּי יוֹנָה אָמַר. בִּלְבַד מִן הָאֵירוּסִין. רִבִּי יוֹסֵה אָמַר. אַף מִן הַנִּישּׂוּאִין. בְּמַחֲזֵירָה תִנְיָנָא חָזַר בּוֹ רִבִּי יוֹסֵי. אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי פִּינְחָס. לֹא כֵן אִלְּפָן רִבִּי. מִן הַנִּישּׂוּאִין. אָמַר לֵיהּ. וְהִיא קְבוּעָה גַּבָּךְ כְּמַסְמֵרָא. Rebbi Jonah said, only after qiddushin130This refers to the she-ram married to the dead brother. R. Jonah holds that after consummation of the marriage the husband would recognize that his wife had no secondary sex characteristics and that she was congenitally sterile. If he did not claim that the marriage was in error (since usually people marry with a view to have children), the marriage was valid and it is not clear why an incest prohibition for the she-ram should be irrelevant for the co-wife.. Rebbi Yose said, even after final marriage. In the second repetition131The second time R. Yose taught Yebamot., Rebbi Yose changed his mind. Rebbi Phineas said to him, did the Rabbi not teach us “after final marriage”? He answered him, is that fixed in you like a nail132He refused to be bound by his prior opinion.?
אָמַר רִבִּי זְעוּרָה קוֹמֵי רִבִּי מָנָא. יֵאוּת אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי עַד לֹא יַחֲזוֹר בָּהּ. אִילּוּ בִתּוֹ מִן הַנִּישּׂוּאִין בְּלֹא אַיילוֹנִית צָרָתָהּ אֲסוּרָה. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁנִּיתּוֹסַף לָהּ אַיילוֹנִית צָרָתָהּ מוּתֶּרֶת. אָמַר לֵיהּ. אַיילוֹנִית כְּמִי שֶׁאֵינָהּ בָּעוֹלָם. אִילּוּ שְׁתֵּי יְבָמוֹת אַחַת אַיילוֹנִית וְאַחַת שֶׁאֵינָהּ אַיילוֹנִית וּבָא הַיָּבָם וְחָלַץ לָהּ וּבָא עָלֶיהָ. שֶׁמָּא פָטַר בַּחֲבֵרָתָהּ כְּלוּם. הֲוֵי אַיילוֹנִית כְּמִי שֶׁאֵינָהּ בָּעוֹלָם. Rebbi Ze‘ira said before Rebbi Mana, did not Rebbi Yose say correctly before he changed his mind? Once a man’s daughter is married without being a she-ram, her co-wife is forbidden. If in addition she is a she-ram, does her co-wife become permitted133The daughter married to a brother is forbidden to her father. A she-ram is forbidden to all brothers (cf. Notes 65, 66). Since when do two prohibitions add up to a permission?? He said to him, the she-ram is as if non-existent. If there are two sisters-in-law, one a she-ram and one not a she-ram, if the levir comes and performs ḥalîṣah or has intercourse with the first134Who is forbidden for levirate., did he free her companion of anything? That shows that the she-ram is as if non-existent.
בִּתּוֹ. וּבִתּוֹ מְמֵאֶנֶת. וְלֹא כְנִישּׂוּאֵי תוֹרָה הִיא. אֶת בִּתִּי נָתַתִּי לָאִישׁ הַזֶּה. רִבִּי הוּנָא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ. תִּיפְתָּר בִּקְטַנָּה שֶׁהִשִּׂיאָהּ אָבִיהָ וְנִתְגָּֽרְשָה. שֶׁהִיא כִיתוֹמָה בְחַיֵי אָבִיהָ. “His daughter”. How can his daughter repudiate, is she not married by Torah standards, “my daughter I gave to this man135Deut. 22:16. From the text it is clear that the marriage is valid in all respects. The verse implies that the father has the right to marry off his daughter, but only the Babli (Soṭah 23b) infers from it that the mother does not have this right, even though the Yerushalmi accepts that ruling in practice.”? Rebbi Huna in the name of Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish: Explain it by a minor, who was married off by her father136She is emancipated from her father by the marriage but not able to validly contract while under age. This is quoted cryptically in Babli Qiddušin 44b. and divorced, who is like an orphan while her father is alive.
רִבִּי אָחָא רִבִּי חֲנִינָה בְשֵׁם רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ. זֹאת אוֹמֶרֶת שֶׁאֵין קְטַנָּה יוֹלֶדֶת. דִּלֹא כֵן תַּמְתִּין עַד שֶׁתַּגְדִיל וּתְמֵאֵן בְּבַעֲלָהּ וְתַתִּיר צָרָתָהּ לְחַתְנָהּ. כַּלָּתוֹ שֶׁל רִבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל מֵיאֵנָה וּבְנָהּ עַל כְּתֵיפָהּ. רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה בְשֵׁם רִבִּי אַבָּהוּ. רִבִּי יוּדָה וְרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְרִבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אָֽמְרוּ דָבָר אֶחָד. תַּנֵּי. עַד אֵימָתַי הַבַּת מְמֵאֶנֶת. עַד שֶׁתָּבִיא שְׁתֵּי שְׂעָרוֹת. דִּבְרֵי רִבִּי מֵאִיר. רִבִּי יוּדָה אוֹמֵר. עַד שֶׁיַּרְבֶּה הַשָּׁחוֹר. רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר. עַד שֶׁתִּתְפַּשֵּׁט הַכַּף. רִבִּי זְעוּרָא רִבִּי חִייָה בְשֵׁם רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ. עַד שֶׁתִּתְפַּשֵּׁט הַכַּף וִיהֵא הַשָּׁחוֹר רָבָה עַל הַלָּבָן. Rebbi Aḥa, Rebbi Ḥanina, in the name of Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish: This means138The statement that the mother-in-law could not have repudiated her husband since she had a daughter from him. that a minor cannot give birth; because otherwise she could wait until she grew up, repudiate her husband, and permit her co-wife to her son-in-law. The daughter-in-law139In Babli Niddah 52a, the daughter. of Rebbi Ismael repudiated while her son was on her shoulder. Rebbi Ḥizqiah in the name of Rebbi Abbahu: Rebbi Jehudah, Rebbi Simeon, and Rebbi Ismael140In the Babli, loc. cit., R. Ismael is quoted to hold that no biblically invalid marriage bars the woman from walking out. It is also stated that the action of the daughter was in accordance with her deceased father’s opinion. Since according to the Yerushalmi that opinion is nowhere recorded formally, the Babli’s explanation is one of the possibilities mentioned in the paragraph after the next as R. Ismael’s. said the same. It was stated141A slightly different version is in Babli loc. cit. and Tosephta Niddah 6:11.: Until when may the daughter repudiate? Until she grows two pubic hairs142Alternatively, the breasts as indicators of puberty are described in Mishnaiot Niddah 5:7–8, 6:1., the words of Rebbi Meїr. Rebbi Judah says until the black covers most. Rebbi Simeon says until the hill of Venus expands. Rebbi Ze‘ira, Rebbi Ḥiyya143R. Ḥiyya bar Abba. in the name of Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish: Until the mons Veneris enlarges and the black be more than the white144Corrected version of R. Simeon’s opinion..
רִבִּי אַבָּהוּ רִבִּי לָֽעֲזָר בְשֵׁם רִבִי הוֹשַׁעְיָה. הֲלָכָה כְּרִבִּי יוּדָן. רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי אָמַר. הֲלָכָה כְּרִבִּי יוּדָה. אָתָא עוֹבְדָא קוֹמֵי רִבִּי יַסָּא. אָמַר. אֵיזְלוֹן לְגַבֵּי רִבִּי אַבָּהוּ דְּאִית לֵיהּ אוּלְפָן. הֲלָכָה כְּרִבִּי יוּדָה. אֲנָן לֵית לָן אוּלְפָן. הֲלָכָה כְּרִבִּי יוּדָה. רִבִּי חֲנִינָה אָמַר. הֲלָכָה כְּרִבִּי יוּדָה. רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר לְצִיפּוֹרַייָא. אַתּוּן אָֽמְרִין בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי חֲנִינָה. הֲלָכָה כְּרִבִּי יוּדָה. וְלֵית הִיא כֵן. מַאי כְדוֹן. חֲבֵרַייָא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי חֲנִינָה. מוֹדֵיי רִבִּי יְהוּדָה שֶׁאִם נִבְעֲלָה מִשֶּׁהֵבִיאָה שְׁתֵי שְׂעָרוֹת שֶׁאֵין יְכוֹלָה לְמָאֵן. רִבִּי זְעוּרָה בְשֵׁם רִבִּי חֲנִינָה. מוֹדֵיי רִבִּי יוּדָה שֶׁאִם נִתְקַדְּשָׁה מִשֶּׁהֵבִיאָה שְׁתֵי שְׂעָרוֹת שֶׁאֵינָה יְכוֹלָה לְמָאֵן. עַל דַּעְתֵּיהּ דְּרִבִּי זְעוּרָה דְאָמַר. נִתְקַדְּשָׁה מִשֶׁהֵבִיאָה שְׁתֵי שְׂעָרוֹת. הָא אִם נִתְקַדְּשָׁה עַד שֶׁלֹּא הֵבִיאָה שְׁתֵי שְׂעָרוֹת וְנִבְעֲלָה מִשֶּׁהֵבִיאָה שְּׁתֵי שְׂעָרוֹת יְכוֹלָה הִיא לְמָאֵן. נִיחָא. עַל דַעְתִּין דַּחֲבֵרַיָּא דְּאִינּוּן אָֽמְרִין. נִבְעֲלָה מִשֶּׁהֵבִיאָה שְׁתֵי שְׂעָרוֹת. הָא אִם נִבְעֲלָה עַד שֶׁלֹּא הֵבִיאָה שְׁתֵי שְׂעָרוֹת יְכוֹלָה הִיא לְמָאֵן. Rebbi Abbahu, Rebbi Eleazar, in the name of Rebbi Hoshaia: Practice follows Rebbi Jehudah145In the Babli, Niddah 52a, the statement is Rebbi Abbahu in the name of Rebbi Eleazar and includes that of the colleagues below.. Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said, practice follows Rebbi Jehudah. A case came before Rebbi Yasa; he said, go to Rebbi Abbahu since he has learned that practice follows Rebbi Jehudah; we did not learn that practice follows Rebbi Jehudah. Rebbi Ḥanina said, practice follows Rebbi Jehudah. Rebbi Joḥanan said to the Sepphoreans, you say in the name of Rebbi Ḥanina that practice follows Rebbi Jehudah, but it is not so. How is it? The colleagues146Rav Ḥanania and his brother Rav Oshaia. in the name of Rebbi Ḥanina: Rebbi Jehudah agrees that if she had intercourse after she grew two hairs, she cannot repudiate147He agrees that the criterion of R. Meїr is valid to give her the right to contract marriage but if she is not forced to make a decision her right to repudiation remains in force; cf. Rashi in Niddah 52a.. Rebbi Ze‘ira in the name of Rebbi Ḥanina: Rebbi Jehudah agrees that if she received qiddushin after she grew two hairs, she cannot repudiate148This opinion, the more important one in the Yerushalmi, is ignored in the Babli.. According to Rebbi Ze‘ira who said “she received qiddushin after she grew two hairs”, it follows that if she received qiddushin before she grew two hairs and had intercourse after she grew two hairs, she can repudiate149The Babli, Niddah 46a, disagrees.. That fits150As explained in the next paragraph, one holds with R. Simeon that the rabbinic marriage of the minor becomes biblically valid only by a conscious act, for example intercourse to confirm the marriage. Since people usually think that a rabbinic marriage is all they need, simple intercourse does not satisfy the requirement. Therefore, R. Ismael’s daughter-in-law could repudiate even as an adult.. According to the colleagues who say “she had intercourse after she grew two hairs”, it follows that if she had intercourse before she grew two hairs, she can repudiate151By the same reason as given in the previous paragraph. But for them, if she was married as a minor and the marriage was not consummated until she produced two pubic hairs, she cannot repudiate..
וְזֶה אֵימָתַי. עִיבֵּרָה וְיָֽלְדָה עַד שֶׁלֹּא הֵבִיאָה שְׁתֵי שְׂעָרוֹת. וְחָיָה הִיא. לֹא כֵן אָמַר רִבִּי רְדִיפָא רִבִּי יוֹנָה בְשֵׁם רִבִּי אִילָא. אִיתָא. עִיבֵּרָה וְיָֽלְדָה עַד שֶׁלֹּא הֵבִיאָה שְׁתֵי שְׂעָרוֹת הִיא וּבְנָהּ מֵתִים. מִשֶּׁהֵבִיאָה שְׁתֵי שְׂעָרוֹת הִיא וּבְנָהּ חַייִם. עִיבֵּרָה עַד שֶׁלֹּא הֵבִיאָה שְׁתֵי שְׂעָרוֹת וְיָֽלְדָה מִשֶּׁהֵבִיאָה שְׁתֵי שְׂעָרוֹת הִיא חָיָה וּבְנָהּ מַת. מַאי כְדוֹן. רִבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל כְּרִבִּי יוּדָה. עַד שֶׁיַּרְבֶּה שָׁחוֹר כְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן. עַל תְּנַאי קִידּוּשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן וּבָעַל. עַל דַּעְתֵּיהּ דְּרִבִּי מֵאִיר וְרִבִּי יוּדָה. דְּאָֽמְרֵי. בַּסִּימָנִין הַדָּבָר תָּלוּי. נִיחָא. עַל דַּעְתֵּיהּ דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן דּוּ אָמַר. לִכְשֶׁיּוֹסִיף בָּהּ קִינְייָן אֶחָד. מֵעַתָּה אֲפִילוּ גְדוֹלָה. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק. וְכֵינִי. אֶלָּא כְדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִתְפָּֽרְצוּ בְּנוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּזִימָּה. When was it152The daughter-in-law of R. Ismael who had a child and wanted to repudiate her husband following her father’s rules.? She became pregnant and gave birth before she grew two hairs. Could she have lived? Did not Rebbi Redifa, Rebbi Jonah, say in the name of Rebbi Hila153The Babli, Yebamot 12b, rejects a similar (Galilean) statement; the Babylonian Rav Saphra declares that pregnancy is a sign of puberty.: If a woman became pregnant and gave birth before she grew two hairs, she and her son will die. After she grew two hairs, she and her son will live. If she became pregnant before she grew two hairs and gave birth after she grew two hairs, she will live but her son will die. How is the situation? Rebbi Ismael follows RebbiJehudah, until the black covers most154In all these criteria, he will replace “two hairs” with “most of the mons Veneris is black”. [and] Rebbi Simeon, that intercourse occurred with the idea of the prior qiddushin150As explained in the next paragraph, one holds with R. Simeon that the rabbinic marriage of the minor becomes biblically valid only by a conscious act, for example intercourse to confirm the marriage. Since people usually think that a rabbinic marriage is all they need, simple intercourse does not satisfy the requirement. Therefore, R. Ismael’s daughter-in-law could repudiate even as an adult.. Following the opinions of Rebbi Meїr and Rebbi Jehudah who say that her status depends on the signs of development, it fits155As explained above, the daughter-in-law could have had a baby and still be a minor according to R. Jehudah [not according to R. Meїr; he is mentioned here only to reject the implied opinion of R. Saphra (Note 152).]. Following the opinion of Rebbi Simeon who says, if he adds another act of acquisition, then even if she is an adult! Rebbi Isaac said, that is so156The daughter-in-law of R. Ismael could have been an adult if no conscious validation of the marriage took place after her reaching adulthood (Note 150).. Only that the daughters of Israel should not be unbridled in breaking tabus157The rejection of this interpretation in practice is rabbinic; the Babli (cf. Note 140) takes this as a reason to reject R. Ismael’s position..
אַתְייָא עוֹבְדָא קוֹמֵי רִבִּי יוֹסֵי. אָמַר יִבְדְקוֹ דַדֶּיהָ. מַה. כְּרִבִּי יוּדָה. דְּרִבִּי יוּדָה אָמַר. עַד שֶׁיַּרְבֶּה שָׁחוֹר. וְהוּא דְאָמַר רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי. אֵין בֵּין יְמוֹת הַנַּעֲרוּת לִימוֹת הַבַּגְרוּת אֶלָּא שִׁשָּׁה חֳדָשִים בִּלְבַד. וְאָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּהוּ בְשֵׁם רִִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. אֵין עוֹשִׂין מַעֲשֶׂה. הָדָא דְתֵימַר בְּתוֹךְ הַזְּמָן. אֲבָל לְאַחַר הַזְּמַן עוֹשִׂין מַעֲשֶׂה. בְּרַם הָכָא סָפֵיק רָבָה שָׁחוֹר סָפֵק לֹא רָבָה שָׁחוֹר כּוֹפוֹ אֲנִי לִיתֵּן גֵט. רָבָה הַשָּׁחוֹר אֵינוֹ נוֹגֵעַ בַּגֵּט. There came a case before Rebbi Yose158Of a girl repudiating when it was doubtful whether or not she was an adult.. He said: One should examine her breasts159Mishnah Niddah 5:7–8 explains the progress of puberty from minority to adulthood through the state called נערוּת “maidenhood” when she is an adult and legally responsible for her actions but still under the authority of her father. This paragraph identifies the beginning of maidenhood with the growing of two pubic hairs and adulthood with the covering of the mons Veneris by hair. This means that R. Meїr permits repudiation only during minority and R. Jehudah during minority and maidenhood.. How? Following Rebbi Jehudah! Since Rebbi Jehudah said, until the black covers most. Is not that what Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said, between maidenhood and adulthood thare are only six months160In the Babli, Niddah 65a, this is a statement of the contemporary Babylonian Samuel., and Rebbi Abbahu said in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan, one does not act on this161How can Rebbi Yose follow R. Jehudah when according to R. Meїr any marriage contracted by the repudiating girl would be adultery and R. Joḥanan forbids to follow R. Jehudah (even if in the abstract R. Jehudah might be correct).? This means during that period162When she is no longer a minor but not an adult, the court does not act either to permit repudiation or to deny it, as explained later.. But after that period one acts163Six months after the first signs of puberty one forbids repudiation without checking for signs of adulthood. The Babli, Niddah 46a, which disregards R. Jehudah’s opinion and forbids repudiation by maidens, holds that after the age of 12 full years no examination is necessary to establish the fact of maidenhood.. But in this case where there was a doubt whether the black covered most or the black did not cover most, I force him to give a bill of divorce164Since one cannot deny repudiation according to R. Jehudah and cannot permit it following R. Meїr, the court forces the husband to confirm the repudiation by a formal divorce. Then the girl can remarry without problems. But once she is an adult, she cannot force a divorce in court (except for infertility or serious misbehavior of the husband.). When the black covers most one does not touch a bill of divorce.