I might infer only that [the verse discusses] a divorcee. How do I know that [the verse in fact discusses] a widow? The Teaching states: “Or if the latter man shall die” (Dt.24:3)— [despite his death, she can not remarry her first husband].
2. If, in any case, we are going to include a widow under the rule, what is the Teaching’s point in [the case of] the divorcee? [To explain] that the widow is permitted to the levir [her deceased husband’s brother], but the divorcee is prohibited to her former-husband’s brother [even if he is without heirs]. Is it possible to say that even if she broke faith with her husband after her divorce, she should be forbidden to return to him? The Teaching states: “And he shall have written for her a writ of separation, and she shall go” (Dt.24:3)— a woman expelled by a divorce-document is forbidden to return [to the marriage], but one who broke faith with her husband after her divorce should not be forbidden to return.
On what basis do I know that a man who gives a divorce-document to his dead brother’s childless widow [whom he must either marry or release with the Shoe-loosening rite (Dt.25:5-10).] is forbidden to take her back? The Teaching states: “The first husband, who sent her away, may not return her to the marriage” (Dt.24:4). On what basis do I know that if a woman’s husband went to a seacoast city, and they reported to her: Your husband is dead. So she went and remarried, but afterwards her husband turned up alive— she must be expelled by this one and that one, and she needs a divorce-document from this one and that one?359=M. Yev. 10:1. The Teaching states: “The first husband, who sent her away, may not return her to the marriage” (Dt.24:4)— he may not return to remarry the one whom he sent away.
3. “Who sent her away” (Dt.24:4)— I might infer only that [the rule applies to a woman expelled] from a marriage who remarries [her former-husband]. How do I know that it applies as well [to a woman expelled] from one betrothal to [a second] betrothal? Or [a woman expelled] from a betrothal to a marriage? Or [to one expelled] from a marriage to a betrothal? The Teaching states: “The first husband, who sent her away, may not return her to the marriage” (Dt.24:4)— the first husband may not take the one he sent away [even from a betrothal].
R. Yose b. Kipar says in the name of R. Elazar b. Azariah: [if he expelled her] from the status of betrothal, he is permitted [to return her to that status], but if [he expelled her] from the status of marriage, she is forbidden to him [under the rule of he may not remarry her]. As it is stated: “Since she is unclean to him” (Dt.24:4)— [from sexual relations during the first marriage]. But sages say: Whether [she is expelled] from the status of betrothal or from the status of marriage— she is forbidden to him [because betrothal itself creates a quasi-marital bond]. If so, why is it stated: “Since she is unclean to him” (Dt.24:4)? To include under the rule a wife suspected of straying360Heb: sotah. into seclusion with a man (cf. Nu. 5:11-31).
4. “For she is an abomination” (Dt.24:4)— R. Judah says: She may be an abomination, but her child is not abominable— [her uncleanness has no impact on the status of a child she might conceive].
(דברים כד ב) וְיָצְאָה מִבֵּיתוֹ, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָאִשָּׁה יוֹצְאָה מִלִּפְנֵי הָאִישׁ.
Pisqa’ 270358H:265-267;JN2:211-213.
1. “And she shall go out from his house” (Dt.24:2)—
this teaches that
the woman is expelled from before the man.
וְהָלְכָה וְהָיְתָה לְאִישׁ אַחֵר, שֶׁלֹּא תִּנָּשֵׂא עִמּוֹ בִּשְׁכוּנָה.
“And she shall go and be with another man” (Dt.24:2)—
she should not remarry in
her former neighborhood.
אַחֵר, כְּבָר קְרָאַתּוֹ הַתּוֹרָה אַחֵר.
“Another man” (Dt.24:2)—
the Torah already refers to him as another
[implying that the second marriage should be more successful].
(דברים כד ג) וּשְׂנֵאָהּ הָאִישׁ הָאַחֲרוֹן, הַכָּתוּב מְבַשֶּׂרְךָ שֶׁאַתָּה עָתִיד לִשְׂנֹאתָהּ.
“But if the latter man comes to reject her” (Dt.24:3)—
the verse informs you that
you, too, will eventually reject her.
אוֹ כִּי יָמוּת הָאִישׁ הָאַחֲרוֹן, הַכָּתוּב מְבַשֶּׂרְךָ שֶׁעֲתִידָה לְקָבְרוֹ.
“Or if the latter man shall die” (Dt.24:3)—
the verse informs you that
she will eventually bury him.
אֵין לִי אֶלָּא גְּרוּשָׁה, אַלְמָנָה מִנַּיִן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: אוֹ כִּי יָמוּת הָאִישׁ הָאַחֲרוֹן. אִם סוֹפֵנוּ לְרַבּוֹת אַלְמָנָה, מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר גְּרוּשָׁה? אַלְמָנָה מֻתֶּרֶת לַיָּבָם, גְּרוּשָׁה אֲסוּרָה לַיָּבָם.
I might infer only that
[the verse discusses] a divorcee.
How do I know that
[the verse in fact discusses] a widow?
The Teaching states:
“Or if the latter man shall die” (Dt.24:3)—
[despite his death, she can not remarry her first husband].
יָכוֹל אַף שֶׁקִּלְקְלָה עַל בַּעְלָהּ לְאַחַר שֶׁנִּתְגָּרְשָׁה תְּהֵא אֲסוּרָה לַחֲזוֹר לוֹ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (דברים כד א): ״וְכָתַב לָהּ סֵפֶר כְּרִיתֻת וְיָצְאָה״, הַיּוֹצְאָה בְּגֵט תְּהֵא אֲסוּרָה לַחֲזוֹר לוֹ, וְלֹא שֶׁקִּלְקְלָה עַל בַּעְלָהּ לְאַחַר שֶׁנִּתְגָּרְשָׁה תְּהֵא אֲסוּרָה לַחֲזוֹר לוֹ.
2. If, in any case, we are going to include
a widow under the rule,
what is the Teaching’s point in
[the case of] the divorcee?
[To explain] that the widow is permitted
to the levir [her deceased husband’s brother],
but the divorcee is prohibited to
her former-husband’s brother
[even if he is without heirs].
Is it possible to say that
even if she broke faith with her husband
after her divorce,
she should be forbidden to return to him?
The Teaching states:
“And he shall have written for her a writ of separation, and she shall go” (Dt.24:3)—
a woman expelled by a divorce-document
is forbidden to return [to the marriage],
but one who broke faith with her husband
after her divorce
should not be forbidden to return.
(דברים כד ד) מִנַּיִן לְנוֹתֵן גֵּט לִיבִמְתּוֹ שֶׁאָסוּר לַחֲזֹר עָלֶיהָ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: לֹא יוּכַל בַּעְלָהּ הָרִאשׁוֹן. מִנַּיִן לְאִשָּׁה שֶׁהָלַךְ בַּעְלָהּ לִמְדִינַת הַיָּם וְאָמְרוּ לָהּ ״מֵת בַּעְלֵיךְ״ וְנִשֵּׂאת, וְאַחַר כָּךְ בָּא בַעְלָהּ, שֶׁתֵּצֵא מִזֶּה וּמִזֶּה וּצְרִיכָה גֵּט מִזֶּה וּמִזֶּה? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: לֹא יוּכַל בַּעְלָהּ הָרִאשׁוֹן אֲשֶׁר שִׁלְּחָהּ לָשׁוּב לְקַחְתָּהּ, לֹא יוּכַל לָשׁוּב לָקַחַת אֶת אֲשֶׁר שִׁלֵּחַ.
On what basis do I know that
a man who gives a divorce-document to
his dead brother’s childless widow
[whom he must either marry or release with
the Shoe-loosening rite (Dt.25:5-10).]
is forbidden to take her back?
The Teaching states:
“The first husband, who sent her away, may not return her to the marriage” (Dt.24:4).
On what basis do I know that
if a woman’s husband went to a seacoast city,
and they reported to her:
Your husband is dead.
So she went and remarried,
but afterwards her husband turned up alive—
she must be expelled by this one and that one,
and she needs a divorce-document from this one and that one?359=M. Yev. 10:1.
The Teaching states:
“The first husband, who sent her away, may not return her to the marriage” (Dt.24:4)—
he may not return to remarry the one whom he sent away.
אֲשֶׁר שִׁלְּחָהּ, אֵין לִי אֶלָּא מִן הַנִּשּׂוּאִים לַנִּשּׂוּאִים מִן הָאֵרוּסִים לָאֵרוּסִים מִן הָאֵרוּסִים לַנִּשּׂוּאִים מִן לַנִּשּׂוּאִים לָאֵרוּסִים מִנַּיִן, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: לֹא יוּכַל בַּעְלָהּ הָרִאשׁוֹן, לֹא יוּכַל הָרִאשׁוֹן לָקַחַת אֵת אֲשֶׁר שִׁלַּח.
3. “Who sent her away” (Dt.24:4)—
I might infer only that
[the rule applies to a woman expelled]
from a marriage who remarries [her former-husband].
How do I know that
it applies as well
[to a woman expelled]
from one betrothal to [a second] betrothal?
Or [a woman expelled]
from a betrothal to a marriage?
Or [to one expelled]
from a marriage to a betrothal?
The Teaching states:
“The first husband, who sent her away, may not return her to the marriage” (Dt.24:4)—
the first husband may not take the one he sent away
[even from a betrothal].
רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בֶּן כֵּיפָר אוֹמֵר מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה: מִן הָאֵרוּסִים מֻתֶּרֶת, מִן הַנִּשּׂוּאִים אֲסוּרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אַחֲרֵי אֲשֶׁר הֻטַּמָּאָה. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים: בֵּין מִן הָאֵרוּסִים בֵּין מִן הַנִּשּׂוּאִים אֲסוּרָה, אִם כֵּן לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר אַחֲרֵי אֲשֶׁר הֻטַּמָּאָה, לְרַבּוֹת סוֹטָה שֶׁנִּסְתְּרָה.
R. Yose b. Kipar says
in the name of R. Elazar b. Azariah:
[if he expelled her] from the status of betrothal,
he is permitted [to return her to that status],
but if [he expelled her] from the status of marriage,
she is forbidden to him
[under the rule of he may not remarry her].
As it is stated:
“Since she is unclean to him” (Dt.24:4)—
[from sexual relations during the first marriage].
But sages say:
Whether [she is expelled] from the status of betrothal
or from the status of marriage—
she is forbidden to him
[because betrothal itself creates a quasi-marital bond].
If so, why is it stated:
“Since she is unclean to him” (Dt.24:4)?
To include under the rule
a wife suspected of straying360Heb: sotah.
into seclusion with a man (cf. Nu. 5:11-31).
וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (ירמיה ג א): ״הֵן יְשַׁלַּח אִישׁ אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ וְהָלְכָה מֵאִתּוֹ״.
And so does He state:
“When a man sends away his wife, and she goes from him . . .
can he ever return to her again?” (Jer.3:1)
כִּי תוֹעֵבָה הִיא, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: הִיא תּוֹעֵבָה וְאֵין הַוָּלָד תּוֹעֵבָה.
4. “For she is an abomination” (Dt.24:4)—
R. Judah says:
She may be an abomination,
but her child is not abominable—
[her uncleanness has no impact on
the status of a child she might conceive].
וְלֹא תַחֲטִיא אֶת הָאָרֶץ, לְהַזְהִיר בֵּית דִּין עַל כָּךְ.
“Do not pollute the Land” (Dt.24:4)—
this alerts the court to be vigilant in the matter.