{"id":10962,"date":"2007-08-09T22:57:00","date_gmt":"2007-08-09T22:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/production.ou.org\/life\/other\/masechet_yevamot_99105\/"},"modified":"2015-10-27T07:21:30","modified_gmt":"2015-10-27T12:21:30","slug":"masechet_yevamot_99105","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_yevamot_99105\/","title":{"rendered":"Masechet Yevamot 99a-105b"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>The Coming Week&#8217;s Daf Yomi by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>This essay is based upon the insights and chidushim (original ideas) of Talmudic scholar Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, as published in the Hebrew version of the Steinsaltz Edition of the Talmud.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>This month\u2019s Steinsaltz Daf Yomi is sponsored by Dr. and Mrs. Alan Harris, The Lewy Family Foundation, and Marilyn and Edward Kaplan<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Yevamot 99a-b<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#mishna\">Mishnah<\/a> on our <em>daf <\/em>teaches about situations where newborn children are inadvertently switched and we do not know which child belongs to which mother. For example, if the child of a <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/jl.htm#kohen\">kohen<\/a><\/em> was mixed up with the child of his wife\u2019s maidservant, the Mishnah teaches that both children can eat <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=471&amp;letter=H\">terumah<\/a><\/em> (either as the child of the <em>kohen<\/em> or as the property of the <em>kohen<\/em>), and neither can come into contact with a dead body (since we cannot know which one is really the <em>kohen<\/em> and which one is not.)<\/p>\n<p>In clarifying the rules of a <em>kohen<\/em> and his servants, the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#gemara\">Gemara<\/a> relates a disagreement between <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=632&amp;letter=J\">Rabbi Yehuda<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=427&amp;letter=J\">Rabbi Yossi<\/a>. Rabbi Yehuda insists that such a person can only receive <em>terumah<\/em> in the granary if he is accompanying his master, the <em>kohen<\/em>. Rabbi Yossi allows the servant to receive <em>terumah<\/em> on his own, with the argument that he is deserving of the <em>terumah<\/em>, either on his own merit as a <em>kohen<\/em>, or else because he is owned by a <em>kohen<\/em>. The Gemara explains that this disagreement is based on different practices that existed in each of their communities. In Rabbi Yehuda&#8217;s community, receiving <em>terumah<\/em> was considered tantamount to proof that the recipient was a <em>kohen<\/em>; in Rabbi Yossi&#8217;s community, it was not considered proof.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=242&amp;letter=E\">Rabbi Elazar bar Tzadok<\/a> then relates that this difference almost led to a servant being accepted as a <em>kohen<\/em>. As explained by the Gemara, while in Rabbi Yossi&#8217;s community he saw someone receiving <em>terumah<\/em>. Upon testifying to this fact in Rabbi Yehuda&#8217;s community, the man was almost accepted as a <em>kohen<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The Gemara is certain that ultimately no mistake had been made, arguing that &#8220;if no error can ensue from the activities of the animal of a <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/tw.htm#tzaddik\">tzaddik<\/a><\/em>, certainly the actions of an actual <em>tzaddik<\/em> cannot lead to error.&#8221; The source for this concept is a story that appears in <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=957&amp;letter=H\">Chullin<\/a><\/em> (7a) where <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=286&amp;letter=P\">Pinchas ben Yair<\/a>&#8216;s donkey refuses to eat food that had not been properly tithed. Although <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=74&amp;letter=J\">Rabbeinu Tam<\/a> also extends this idea to other areas of <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#halachah\">halakha<\/a><\/em> (as in our case), <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/bc.htm#baaleitosafot\">Tosafot<\/a> on our page erase the discussion of this idea, arguing that it only applies to eating forbidden food, and not to other possible errors.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong><u>Yevamot 100a-b<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We have already learned the concept of <em>havchanah<\/em> \u2013 the requirement that a woman whose marriage ends must wait at least three months before marrying another man. The purpose of this rule is to ensure that, if the woman becomes pregnant during this period, we know who the father of the child is.<\/p>\n<p>What if the woman does not wait the required period, and is pregnant with a child whose father is one of two people? The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#mishna\">Mishnah<\/a> on our <em>daf <\/em>relates to this question in a number of different settings, e.g. with regards to questions of <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=293&amp;letter=L\">yibum<\/a><\/em> (levirate marriage), if one was a <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/jl.htm#kohen\">kohen<\/a><\/em> and the other an ordinary Jew, and if they were both <em>kohanim<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>In the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#gemara\">Gemara<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=204&amp;letter=S\">Shmuel<\/a> is quoted as teaching that in another case where there is lack of clarity with regard to the identity of the father, i.e. when we know that one man stepped out from among a group of <em>kohanim<\/em> and engaged in relations with a woman, we consider the child a <em>shtuki<\/em> (of unknown fatherhood). The Gemara explains that we do not consider him a <em>kohen<\/em> \u2013 even though we are certain that his father was a <em>kohen<\/em>. The source presented by the Gemara for this is the passage in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/bc.htm#bamidbar\">Bamidbar<\/a> (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.mechon-mamre.org\/p\/pt\/pt0425.htm#13\">25:13<\/a>) which teaches that the covenant of priesthood goes from father to son. When we do not know who the father is, the son cannot claim that family heritage.<\/p>\n<p>In truth, the child only loses the benefits of being a <em>kohen<\/em>; he will still be obligated to keep all of the restrictions of the priesthood, for in essence this is a <em>knas<\/em> \u2013 a penalty imposed by the Sages to discourage sexual relationships outside the framework of marriage.<\/p>\n<p>The term <em>shtuki<\/em> in the Gemara is ordinarily used to refer to a child whose parentage is unclear, even to his mother. In such cases he is treated as a <em>safek <\/em>(possible) <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=414&amp;letter=B\">mamzer<\/a><\/em> and thus not allowed to marry ordinary Jews. Our case is unique in that even as we are unsure about who the child&#8217;s father is, we are certain that he is a <em>kohen<\/em>.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong><u>Yevamot 101a-b<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Up until this point, <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#masechet\">Masechet<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.steinsaltz.org\/dynamic\/DafYomi_details.asp?id=621\">Yevamot<\/a> <\/em>has focused on the rules and regulations of the commandment of <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=293&amp;letter=L\">yibum<\/a><\/em> \u2013 levirate marriage. With the twelfth <em>perek <\/em>that begins on our <em>daf<\/em>, the focus of the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#gemara\">Gemara<\/a> shifts to the other end of the spectrum \u2013 the <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#mitzvah\">mitzvah<\/a><\/em> of <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=137&amp;letter=H\">chalitzah<\/a><\/em> (see <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#devarim\">Devarim<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mechon-mamre.org\/p\/pt\/pt0525.htm#7\">25:7-10<\/a>) that will end the relationship of the widow with her first husband&#8217;s family, allowing her to marry whomever she pleases. The <em>pesukim <\/em>describe the procedure in some detail, although the Gemara clarifies the specifics. For example, when the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/torah.htm\">Torah<\/a> commands that this procedure take place before the <em>zekaynim<\/em> \u2013 the elders \u2013 to whom is it referring? How many need there be? Where should it take place?<\/p>\n<p>Among the responsibilities of the <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/bc.htm#beitdin\">bet din<\/a><\/em> is to advise the potential <em>yavam<\/em> and <em>yevamah<\/em> about their options. In a case where there is a great discrepancy in age, for example, it would be appropriate for the elders to recommend <em>chalitzah<\/em> rather than <em>yibum<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#mishna\">Mishnah<\/a> teaches that under ordinary circumstances, three judges \u2013 and even non-ordained people who act as judges (i.e. they know the requirements of the ceremony) \u2013 can supervise a <em>chalitzah<\/em>. Nevertheless, the Gemara relates that several of the Sages recommended convening a group of five judges for a <em>chalitzah<\/em>, and tells of <em>chalitzot<\/em> that were performed in the presence of a specially invited group of five. The Gemara explains that the additional people are brought in <em>ki heikhi de-li-farsame milta<\/em> \u2013 in order to publicize the event.<\/p>\n<p>The need for special publicity is explained by the <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/r.htm#rishon\">rishonim<\/a><\/em> in a number of different ways. The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/rabbis\/meiri.htm\">Me&#8217;iri<\/a> suggests that the community has an interest in making it known that this woman is no longer connected to a specific family and that she is now available for marriage. Another reason is to serve notice to <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/jl.htm#kohen\">kohanim<\/a><\/em> that although this woman is a widow (and under ordinary circumstances <em>kohanim<\/em> are allowed to marry widows) she can no longer marry a <em>kohen <\/em>because she has undergone<em> chalitzah<\/em>.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong><u>Yevamot 102a-b<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The centerpiece of the <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=137&amp;letter=H\">chalitzah<\/a><\/em> ceremony \u2013 whose purpose is to embarrass the <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=293&amp;letter=L\">yavam<\/a><\/em> who has chosen to avoid fulfilling his family obligation \u2013 is the removal of a shoe from the foot of the <em>yavam<\/em> by the widow.<\/p>\n<p>Obviously, there is a wide variety of footwear. The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/torah.htm\">Torah<\/a> appears to require a shoe (<em>na&#8217;al<\/em>). Our <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#gemara\">Gemara<\/a> discusses at length whether it must be a shoe, or can it be a sandal or a slipper? What must it be made from? Because of the various demands, it has become accepted practice that we do not use a shoe that belongs to the <em>yavam<\/em>, but rather every Jewish <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/bc.htm#beitdin\">bet din<\/a><\/em> has a special &#8220;<em>chalitzah<\/em> shoe.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.steinsaltz.org\/dynamic\/content.asp?id=188\">These pictures<\/a> show, from a number of different vantage points, the &#8220;c<em>halitzah<\/em> shoe&#8221; that is currently used in Jewish courts. Sandals are not used anymore because we are no longer certain of how it can be made and still meet all of the requirements. The general shape and appearance of the shoe is similar to one that was commonly worn in the times of the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.steinsaltz.org\/dynamic\/content.asp?id=50\">Talmud<\/a> (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.steinsaltz.org\/dynamic\/content.asp?id=189\">see image<\/a>), although specially made to match those requirements.<\/p>\n<p>The straps that go around and tie the shoe to the leg are referred to in the Gemara as the <em>shintzi<\/em>, and their job is to hold the shoe on the <em>yavam&#8217;s<\/em> foot tightly.<\/p>\n<p>In <a href=\"http:\/\/www.steinsaltz.org\/dynamic\/content.asp?id=188\">this illustration<\/a>, the second figure from the right (labeled letter <em><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bet_(letter)\">bet<\/a><\/em>) shows how the sole is stitched to the shoe and how the straps are connected. The straps, which act as laces, are made out of leather so that the shoe can be an entirely leather shoe.<\/p>\n<p>The other three pictures show that, aside from the straps of laces, there are also three leather buttons that fit into three leather buttonholes. These are the <em>humreta<\/em> described in the Gemara.<\/p>\n<p>When <em>chalitzah<\/em> is performed, the <em>yevamah<\/em> undoes the top bow and the buttons and removes the shoe from the <em>yavam&#8217;s<\/em> foot.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong><u>Yevamot 103a-b<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Our <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#gemara\">Gemara<\/a> quotes a <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=247&amp;letter=B\">baraita<\/a><\/em> that rejects the simple interpretation of the passage in <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/s.htm#sefer\">Sefer<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#devarim\">Devarim<\/a><\/em> (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.mechon-mamre.org\/p\/pt\/pt0525.htm#9\">25:9<\/a>) \u2013 <em>ve-haltzah na&#8217;alo me-al raglo<\/em> \u2013 which seemingly requires the removal of the <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=293&amp;letter=L\">yavam<\/a><\/em>&#8216;s own personal shoe. The <em>baraita<\/em>&#8216;s interpretation of the <em>pasuk <\/em>is that it must be a shoe that is appropriate for him, which excludes a shoe that is so big on him that he cannot walk, or one so small that it will not cover most of his foot. It also excludes a <em>sandal ha-mesulyam she-en lo akev.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/rashi.htm\">Rashi<\/a> explains that a <em>sandal ha-mesulyam she-en lo akev <\/em>is a sandal with no sole.<\/p>\n<p>According to the <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=106&amp;letter=N\">Arukh<\/a><\/em> and the <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#gaon\">Ge&#8217;onim<\/a><\/em>, the correct reading in the Gemara is <em>sandal ha-mesulyas<\/em>, which comes from the Latin <em>soleas,<\/em> a type of sandal that is open in the back and does not hold the back of the foot (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.steinsaltz.org\/dynamic\/content.asp?id=190\">see image<\/a>). The <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#mitzvah\">mitzvah<\/a><\/em> of <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=137&amp;letter=H\">chalitzah<\/a><\/em> is for the <em>yevamah<\/em> to remove the <em>yavam&#8217;s<\/em> heel from the shoe, so an open-backed sandal is not appropriate for the <em>mitzvah<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>To illustrate the <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#halachah\">halakha<\/a><\/em> of ownership of the shoe, the Gemara tells of a <em>chalitzah<\/em> that took place in the presence of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=120&amp;letter=A\">Abayye<\/a> and Rav Yosef. Rav Yosef asked Abayye to offer his own shoe to the <em>yavam<\/em>. Abayye offered his left shoe, which was rejected by Rav Yosef, who argued that the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#mishna\">Mishnah<\/a> (104a) only permits the use of the left shoe <em>b&#8217;dieved <\/em>(after the fact), but that ideally the right one should be used. Abayye responded by saying that although someone else&#8217;s shoe can be used, ideally the <em>yavam<\/em> should use his own. Rav Yosef responded that he, in fact, intended that Abayye should offer his shoe to the <em>yavam<\/em> as a present.<\/p>\n<p>As we noted on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.steinsaltz.org\/dynamic\/DafYomi_details.asp?Id=722\">yesterday&#8217;s <em>daf<\/em><\/a>, today every Jewish court that arranges for a <em>chalitzah<\/em> has a special <em>chalitzah<\/em> shoe. The <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/s.htm#shulchanaruch\">Shulchan Arukh<\/a><\/em> (<em>Even ha-Ezer <\/em>169:14) rules that the shoe should be given to the <em>yavam<\/em> to own in order to satisfy Rav Yosef&#8217;s ruling.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong><u>Yevamot 104a-b<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#mishna\">Mishnah<\/a> brings a disagreement about a court that arranged to have a <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=137&amp;letter=H\">chalitzah<\/a> <\/em>performed and it turned out that one of the three members of the court was a relative or could not serve as a judge for some other reason. The <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/tw.htm#tanna\">Tanna<\/a> Kamma <\/em>insists that we need three, while <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=774&amp;letter=S\">Rabbi Shimon<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=360&amp;letter=J\">Rabbi Yochanan ha-Sandlar<\/a> believe that two will suffice. The Mishnah concludes by telling a story about a case where a <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=293&amp;letter=L\">yavam and a yevamah<\/a><\/em> were in prison together and they performed <em>chalitzah<\/em> on their own, which was accepted by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=1033&amp;letter=A\">Rabbi Akiva<\/a> as valid.<\/p>\n<p>This story appears in greater detail in the <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=277&amp;letter=T\">Tosefta<\/a><\/em> and the <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/tw.htm#yerushalmi\">Talmud Yerushalmi<\/a><\/em>. It took place toward the end of the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=237&amp;letter=B\">Bar Kokhba<\/a> rebellion, when the Roman decrees against the Jews were being carried out with great ferocity, and all <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/torah.htm\">Torah<\/a> study was forbidden. At that time, Rabbi Akiva was being held in prison, and in order to hide the fact that a question of religious law was being discussed, Rabbi Yochanan ha-Sandlar, a close student of Rabbi Akiva, disguised himself as a peddler. He marched back and forth in front of the prison windows, announcing the goods that he had for sale, but also interspersing questions for his mentor: &#8220;Who would like to buy needles? Who would like to buy forks? What about private <em>chalitzah<\/em> with only the principals present?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Rabbi Akiva answered in a similar vein so that their conversation appeared to be one of bargaining over a sale and purchase, rather than a discussion of the <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#halachah\">halakha<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Although we do not accept the ruling of Rabbi Akiva or of Rabbi Yochanan ha-Sandlar, the Gemara nevertheless examines their story, asking, for example, whether it was the <em>chalitzah <\/em>or the ruling that took place in prison. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=626&amp;letter=J\">Rav Yehuda<\/a> quotes <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=127&amp;letter=A\">Rav<\/a> as asserting that they both took place in prison. The <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=627&amp;letter=L#1860\">Yam shel Shlomo<\/a><\/em> explains that even though we do not accept Rabbi Akiva&#8217;s ruling, there is still much to learn from this story. Among other things, we see that had there been three people, the <em>chalitzah<\/em> would certainly have been valid, even though it was not a formal <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/bc.htm#beitdin\">bet din<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong><u>Yevamot 105a-b<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#mishna\">Mishnah<\/a> (104b) teaches that an underage <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=293&amp;letter=L\">yevamah<\/a><\/em> (widow) who received <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=137&amp;letter=H\">halitzah<\/a><\/em> should have it done a second time when she reaches physical maturity. In our <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#gemara\">Gemara<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=626&amp;letter=J\">Rav Yehudah<\/a> quotes <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=127&amp;letter=A\">Rav<\/a> as teaching that this is only the opinion of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=343&amp;letter=M\">Rabbi Me&#8217;ir<\/a>, but others rule that a <em>ketanah<\/em> (female minor) can have <em>chalitzah<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>In the course of searching for the source of that opinion, the Gemara shares a fascinating story that sheds light on the norms and behaviors of the world of the <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=35&amp;letter=Y\">yeshiva<\/a><\/em> in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.steinsaltz.org\/dynamic\/content.asp?id=50\">Talmudic<\/a> times.<\/p>\n<p>The Gemara relates that <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=811&amp;letter=H\">Rabbi Hiyya<\/a> and Rabbi Shimon the son of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=601&amp;letter=J\">Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi<\/a> were discussing whether a person should look upwards during prayer (based on the passage in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/eichah.htm\">Eicha<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mechon-mamre.org\/p\/pt\/pt3203.htm#41\">3:41<\/a>) or downwards (based on the passage in I <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=226&amp;letter=K\">Melakhim<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mechon-mamre.org\/p\/pt\/pt09a09.htm#3\">9:3<\/a>). <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=282&amp;letter=I\">Rabbi Yishmael<\/a> the son of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=427&amp;letter=J\">Rabbi Yossi<\/a> overheard their discussion and shared his father&#8217;s teaching \u2013 that a person should look upwards but direct his heart downwards in order to fulfill both passages.<\/p>\n<p>As they were talking, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi entered and the students \u2013 who sat in assigned places on the floor during the lecture \u2013 all hurried to find their seats. Rabbi Yishmael the son of Rabbi Yossi was heavy-set and was unable to reach his place easily, so he appeared to be &#8220;walking on people&#8217;s heads&#8221; as he made his way to his seat. The Gemara then records the following exchange between Rabbi Yishmael the son of Rabbi Yossi and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=193&amp;letter=A\">Avdan<\/a>, one of Rabbi Yehuda&#8217;s HaNasi&#8217;s students:<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Avdan<\/em><\/strong><strong>:<\/strong> Who is stepping on people&#8217;s heads?<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Rabbi Yishmael<\/em><\/strong><strong>:<\/strong> It is I, Rabbi Yishmael the son of Rabbi Yossi, who has come to learn <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/torah.htm\">Torah<\/a> from Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Avdan<\/em><\/strong><strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0 And are you worthy of studying with Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi?<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Rabbi Yishmael<\/em><\/strong><strong>:<\/strong> Was <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#moshe\">Moses<\/a> worthy of studying from God?<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Avdan<\/em><\/strong><strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0 Do you think that you are Moses?<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Rabbi Yishmael<\/em><\/strong><strong>:<\/strong> Is your teacher God?<\/p>\n<p>At that point, a <em>yevamah<\/em> came in who appeared to be underage, asking whether she needed to have a second <em>chalitzah<\/em>. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi sent Avdan to investigate the case, but before he left the study hall, Rabbi Yishmael the son of Rabbi Yossi quoted his father as ruling that <em>chalitzah<\/em> done with an underage <em>yevamah<\/em> is valid. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, accepting the ruling of Rabbi Yossi, called Avdan back, leading Rabbi Yishmael the son of Rabbi Yossi to declare &#8220;someone who the community needs can step on the heads of the community. But why should someone who is not needed by the community do so?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Rabbi Yishmael the son of Rabbi Yossi lived in the last generation of\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ee;\"><i><u>tannaim<\/u><\/i><\/span>. \u00a0He was close friends with the family of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi and thus accepted him as his teacher, even as he was <em>de facto<\/em> head of the city of <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tzippori\">Tzippori<\/a>, a position he inherited from his father. From all appearances, Rabbi Yishmael was a wealthy businessman and landowner who was forced to work for the Roman government, but we know little about his family or his personal life.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em>In addition to his monumental translation and commentary on the Talmud, Rabbi Steinsaltz has authored dozens of books and hundreds of articles on a variety of topics, both Jewish and secular. For more information about Rabbi Steinsaltz&#8217;s groundbreaking work in Jewish education, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-admin\/www.steinsaltz.org\">www.steinsaltz.org<\/a> or contact the Aleph Society at 212-840-1166.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Coming Week&#8217;s Daf Yomi by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz This essay is based upon the insights and chidushim (original ideas) of Talmudic scholar Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, as published in the Hebrew version of the Steinsaltz Edition of the Talmud. This month\u2019s Steinsaltz Daf Yomi is sponsored by Dr. and Mrs. Alan Harris, The Lewy Family<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":125,"featured_media":41099,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[83],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-torah","series-steinsaltz-daf-yomi"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Masechet Yevamot 99a-105b<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Coming Week&#039;s Daf Yomi (Yevamot 99a-105b) by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, based upon insights &amp; chidushim published in the Steinsaltz edition of the Talmud\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_yevamot_99105\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Masechet Yevamot 99a-105b\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Coming Week&#039;s Daf Yomi (Yevamot 99a-105b) by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, based upon insights &amp; chidushim published in the Steinsaltz edition of the Talmud\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_yevamot_99105\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"OU Life\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2007-08-09T22:57:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2015-10-27T12:21:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/chalitza-shoe-1024x627.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"627\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"13 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_yevamot_99105\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_yevamot_99105\/\",\"name\":\"Masechet Yevamot 99a-105b\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_yevamot_99105\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_yevamot_99105\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/chalitza-shoe.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2007-08-09T22:57:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2015-10-27T12:21:30+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#\/schema\/person\/7a32de488ccffdeab4abf82b42a6c4e1\"},\"description\":\"The Coming Week's Daf Yomi (Yevamot 99a-105b) by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, based upon insights & chidushim published in the Steinsaltz edition of the Talmud\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_yevamot_99105\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_yevamot_99105\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/chalitza-shoe.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/chalitza-shoe.jpg\",\"width\":4793,\"height\":2933},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/\",\"name\":\"OU Life\",\"description\":\"Everyday Jewish Living\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#\/schema\/person\/7a32de488ccffdeab4abf82b42a6c4e1\",\"name\":\"Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b58507ea203a8aa2be80e4feca4ca54162e515258656928aab572c91c3ed85d7?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b58507ea203a8aa2be80e4feca4ca54162e515258656928aab572c91c3ed85d7?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/author\/rabbi_adin_steinsaltzou-org\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Masechet Yevamot 99a-105b","description":"The Coming Week's Daf Yomi (Yevamot 99a-105b) by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, based upon insights & chidushim published in the Steinsaltz edition of the Talmud","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_yevamot_99105\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Masechet Yevamot 99a-105b","og_description":"The Coming Week's Daf Yomi (Yevamot 99a-105b) by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, based upon insights & chidushim published in the Steinsaltz edition of the Talmud","og_url":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_yevamot_99105\/","og_site_name":"OU Life","article_published_time":"2007-08-09T22:57:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2015-10-27T12:21:30+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":627,"url":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/chalitza-shoe-1024x627.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz","Est. reading time":"13 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_yevamot_99105\/","url":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_yevamot_99105\/","name":"Masechet Yevamot 99a-105b","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_yevamot_99105\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_yevamot_99105\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/chalitza-shoe.jpg","datePublished":"2007-08-09T22:57:00+00:00","dateModified":"2015-10-27T12:21:30+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#\/schema\/person\/7a32de488ccffdeab4abf82b42a6c4e1"},"description":"The Coming Week's Daf Yomi (Yevamot 99a-105b) by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, based upon insights & chidushim published in the Steinsaltz edition of the Talmud","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_yevamot_99105\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_yevamot_99105\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/chalitza-shoe.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/chalitza-shoe.jpg","width":4793,"height":2933},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/","name":"OU Life","description":"Everyday Jewish Living","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#\/schema\/person\/7a32de488ccffdeab4abf82b42a6c4e1","name":"Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b58507ea203a8aa2be80e4feca4ca54162e515258656928aab572c91c3ed85d7?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b58507ea203a8aa2be80e4feca4ca54162e515258656928aab572c91c3ed85d7?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz"},"url":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/author\/rabbi_adin_steinsaltzou-org\/"}]}},"acf":[],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/125"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10962"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10962\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49809,"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10962\/revisions\/49809"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41099"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}