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YEVAMOS 22

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SUMMARY

One's great-granddaughter, one's wife's great-granddaughter, and the grandmothers of one's father-in-law and mother-in-law are all Sheniyos and are forbidden. (1)
 
The prohibition of Sheniyos does not apply to Gerim. However, an Ervah is forbidden, so that the Gerim will not say that they had more Kedushah before they became Jewish. (2)
 
The Amora'im disagree about whether Gerim may testify for a maternal brother, but everyone agrees that he may testify for a paternal brother. (3)
 
According to Ameimar, the Rabanan were more stringent with a Ger regarding Arayos than with testimony, because testimony takes place only in Beis Din.
 
Even if the only surviving brother is a Mamzer, the Mitzvah of Chalitzah still applies.
 
A Mamzer who dies is inherited by his brothers (if he does not have children). A Kohen may become Tamei to a brother who is a Mamzer. (4)
 
A brother that was born from a non-Jewish mother or from a non-Jewish maidservant is not regarded as a brother at all.
 
When a deceased man's only child is a Mamzer, that child exempts the widow from Chalitzah and Yibum.
 
If a child who is a Mamzer hits or curses his father, he is Chayav Misah if the father repented for the Aveirah of bringing a Mamzer into the world.
 
Shimon ben Menasya says that bringing a Mamzer into the world is an irreparable blunder.
 
Rabanan: A person who has relations with a sister born from the wife of the father (as opposed to a sister born out of wedlock) is Chayav for two transgressions, for the prohibition of a sister and for the prohibition of a daughter of the wife of a father. Rebbi Yosi bar Yehudah: He is Chayav only for the prohibition of a sister.
 
A separate verse is required to teach that a sister from both a father and a mother is prohibited, because we do not derive prohibitions from a Kal va'Chomer.
 
A sister born from a Nochri is not regarded as a sister, but a sister born out of wedlock is regarded as a sister.

A BIT MORE

1. Since one's granddaughter and one's wife's granddaughter and grandmother are prohibited by the Torah, the Rabanan prohibited also one's great- granddaughter and one's wife's great-granddaughter and great-grandmother.
 
2. A Ger is regarded as a newborn baby, and thus even the relatives who became Gerim along with him are no longer regarded as his relatives, according to the Torah.
 
3. Rav Nachman: Gerim may not testify for a maternal brother. If he does so b'Di'eved, the testimony is valid. Ameimar: They may testify l'Chatchilah for a maternal brother.
 
4. Although a Kohen may not become Tamei to a wife who is Pasul, that is because he is obligated to divorce her, and therefore she is not regarded as his wife.

BRIEF INSIGHT

THE MITZVAH OF YIBUM NOWADAYS
 
The Mishnah says that when a deceased man's only child is a Mamzer, that child exempts the widow from Chalitzah and Yibum. The Maharitz Chiyus says that he heard from the Dayan in Berlin that this is the reason why we no longer do the Mitzvah of Yibum nowadays, even though Yibum is preferred to Chalitzah. Since the spiritual level of Klal Yisrael becomes lower and lower in each successive generation, we are concerned that perhaps the deceased brother had a child who is a Mamzer from an illicit relationship and we are not aware of it, and thus the wife is prohibited to the brothers.

QUICK HALACHAH

A BROTHER WHO IS A MUMAR
 
If a Yevamah falls to a brother who is a Mumar, some say that she is permitted to remarry (without Chalitzah) if he was a Mumar at the time of her marriage to his brother, but one should not rely on this leniency. However, if she went and remarried without Chalitzah because she was unaware of the existence of the brother who is a Mumar, she is permitted to stay with her husband. If there are two brothers and the older one is a Mumar, she should do Chalitzah with the younger brother who is not a Mumar. If she does Chalitzah with the Mumar, it would not be valid even b'Di'eved, but if she was forced by the Mumar to do Chalitzah with him, it would be valid. (Shulchan Aruch EH 157:2)

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