Jerusalem Talmud Yevamot 10.3

משנה: הָאִשָּׁה שֶׁהָלַךְ בַּעֲלָהּ וּבְנָהּ לִמְדִינַת הַיָּם וּבָאוּ וְאָמְרוּ מֵת בַּעֲלֵיךְ וְאַחַר כָּךְ מֵת בְּנֵךְ וְנִישֵּׂאת וְאַחַר כָּךְ אָמְרוּ לָהּ חִילּוּף הָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים. תֵּצֵא וְהַוְולָד הָרִאשׁוֹן וְהָאַחֲרוֹן מַמְזֵר.

MISHNAH: A woman’s husband and son went overseas and people came and told her, your husband died and after that your son died, and she remarried. After that, they said to her, the sequence was inverted. Then she must leave and the first and the last children are bastards.

הלכה: הָאִשָּׁה שֶּׁהָלַךְ בַּעֲלָהּ וּבְנָהּ לִמְדִינַת הַיָּם כוּל׳. מָה אַתְּ עֲבַד. כְּעֵידֵי מִיתָה אוֹ כְעֵידֵי גֵירוּשִׁין. אִין תַּעַבְדִּינָהּ כְּעֵידֵי מִיתָה. פְּלִיגָא עַל רַבָּנִן דְּתַמָּן. אִין תַּעַבְדִּינָהּ כְּעֵידֵי גֵירוּשִׁין פְּלִיגָא בֵּין עַל רַבָּנִין דְּהָכָא בֵין עַל רַבָּנִין דְּתַמָּן. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. וְתַנֵּי כֵן. שֻׁנַיִם אוֹמְרִים מֵת. וּשְׁנַיִם אוֹמְרִים לֹא מֵת. לֹא תִינָּשֵׂא. וִאִם נִישֵּׂאת לֹא תֵצֵא. שְׁנַיִם אוֹמְרִים נִתְגָּרְשָׁה. וּשְׁנַיִם אוֹמְרִים לֹא נִתְגָּרְשָׁה. לֹא תִינָּשֵׂא. וְאִם נִישֵּׂאת תֵּצֵא. תַּמָּן אָמְרִין. לֹא שַׁנְיָיא. הִיא מִיתָה הִיא גֵירוּשִׁין לֹא תִינָּשֵׂא. וְאִם נִישֵּׂאת לֹא תֵצֵא. עַל דַעֲתִּין דְּרַבָּנִין דְּתַמָּן נִיחָא. הִיא מִיתָה הִיא גֵירוּשִׁין. עַל דַעֲתִּין דְּרַבָּנִן דְּהָכָא מַה בֵין מִיתָה מַה בֵין גֵּירוּשִׁין. רִבִּי זְעִירָה אָמַר לָהּ סְתָם. רִבִּי חִיָיה בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר. הַדַּעַת מַכְרָעַת בְּעֵידֵי מִיתָה מֵאַחַר שֶׁאִילּוּ יָבוֹא הוּא מַכְחִישׁ. אָמַר רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה. רַבָּנִן דְּתַמָּן כְּדַעְתִּין. כְּמוֹ דְּרַבָּנִן דְּתַמָּן אוֹמְרִים. בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁיָּצָאת בְּעֵידוּת בְּרוּרָה יָצָאת בּוֹ. כֵּן רַבָּנִין דְּהָכָא אָמְרִין. בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁנִּיסֵּית בְּעֵידוּת בְּרוּרָה נִיסֵּית. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי. מִסְתַּבְּרָא דְלָא מִחְלְפָא שִּׁיטָּתִין דְּרַבָּנִן דְּתַמָּן. לֹא מוֹדֵיי רַבָּנִן דְּתַמָּן שֶׁאִילּוּ מִשָּׁעָה רִאשׁוֹנָה שְׁנַיִם אוֹמְרִים. מֵת אָבִיהָ מִתּוֹכָהּ. וּשְׁנַיִם אוֹמְרִים. לֹא מֵת אָבִיהָ מִתּוֹכָהּ. שֶׁהַשָּׂדֶה בְּחֶזְקַת שֶׁלָּרְאוּבֵן. אִילּוּ אָמְרוּ שְׁנַיִם. נִתְקַדְּשָׁה וְנִתְגָּרְשָׁה וְנִשֵּׂאת. וּשְׁנַיִם אוֹמְרִים לֹא נִתְגָּרְשָׁה. לֹא תֵצֵא. יְאוּת.

HALAKHAH: “If a woman’s husband and son went overseas,” etc. How do you consider this situation, comparing to witnesses of death or witnesses of divorce? If you compare it to witnesses of death, it disagrees with the (rabbis there). If you compare it to witnesses of divorce, it disagrees (both with the rabbis here and those there). Rebbi Joḥanan said, it was stated thus: Two [witnesses] say he died, [later] two witnesses said, he did not die. She shall not remarry, but if she has remarried she should not leave. Two [witnesses] say she was divorced, [later] two witnesses said, she was not divorced. She shall not remarry; if she has remarried she must leave. There, they say, it makes no difference; whether about death or divorce she should not leave. In the opinion of the rabbis there it is understandable, there is no difference between death and divorce. In the opinion of the rabbis here, what is the difference between death and divorce? Rebbi Ze‘ira said it without attribution, Rebbi Ḥiyya in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: It is reasonable to decide in the case of witnesses of death that if he comes he contradicts them. Rebbi Ḥizqiah said, the rabbis there stick to their opinion since the rabbis there say, when the [first] testimony was accepted, it was accepted as certain. So the rabbis here say, at the moment of her remarriage, she remarried based on certain testimony. Rebbi Yose said, it is reasonable that the rabbis there did not change their argument. Do the rabbis there not agree if two [witnesses] say, his father died while in possession, and two say his father died while not in possession, that the field is in Reuben’s possession? Therefore, if two say, she was married, divorced, and remarried, and two say she was not divorced, rightly she should not leave.

מַתְנִיתָא פְלִיגָא עַל רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. שְׁנַיִם אוֹמְרִים. נִתְקַדְּשָׁה. וּשְׁנַיִם אוֹמְרִים. לֹא נִתְקַדְּשָׁה. לֹא תִינָּשֵׂא. וְאִם נִישֵּׂאת לֹא תֵצֵא. אָמַר רִבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָה. פָּתַר לָהּ רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. שְׁנַים אוֹמְרִים. נִתְקַדְּשָׁה וְנִתְגָּרְשָׁה. וּשְׁנַיִם אוֹמְרִים. לֹא נִתְגָּרְשָׁה. לֹא תִינָּשֵׂא. וְאִם נִישֵּׂאת לֹא תֵצֵא. מַה בֵּינָהּ לְקַדְמִיתָא. תַּמָּן הוּחְזְקָה אֵשֶׁת אִישׁ בִּפְנֵי הַכֹּל. בְּרַם הָכָא לֹא הוּחְזְקָה אֵשֶׁת אִישׁ אֶלָּא בִּפְנֵי שְׁנַיִם. לִכְשֶׁיָּבוֹאוּ שְׁנַיִם וְיֹאמְרוּ. זֶהוּ שֶׁקִּידֵּשׁ.

A baraita disagrees with Rebbi Joḥanan: “If two are saying, she was betrothed, and two are saying, she was not betrothed, she should not be married, but if she married she should not leave.” Rebbi Hoshaia said, Rebbi Joḥanan may explain it as follows: “If two are saying, she was betrothed and divorced, and two are saying, she was not divorced, she should not be married, but if she married she should not leave.” What is the difference between this and the first case? There, she was considered a married woman in everybody’s opinion. Here, she is considered a married woman only for two people. If two others would come and identify the man who was betrothed to her.

מַתְנִיתָא פְלִיגָא עַל רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. שְׁנַיִם אוֹמְרִים. נִשְׁבֵּית וְהִיא טְהוֹרָה. וּשְׁנַיִם אוֹמְרִים. נִשְׁבֵּית וְהִיא טְמֵיאָה. לֹא תִינָּשֵׂא. וְאִם נִישֵּׂאת לֹא תֵצֵא. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי. מֵאַחַר שֶׁאֵילּוּ אוֹמְרִים. טְהוֹרָה. וְאֵילּוּ אוֹמְרִים. טְמֵיאָה. כְּמִי שֶׁאֵילּוּ אוֹמְרִים. נִשְׁבֵּית. וְאֵילּוּ אוֹמְרִים. לֹא נִשְּׁבֵּית. וְאָנוּ כְּחַיִין מִפִּיהָ.

A baraita disagrees with Rebbi Joḥanan: “If two are saying, she was kidnapped but is pure, and two are saying, she was kidnapped and is impure, she should not be married, but if she married she should not leave.” Rebbi Yose said, since these say, she is pure, and those say, she is impure, it is as if two said, she was kidnapped, and two said, she was not kidnapped, and we depend on what she says.

שְׁנַיִם אוֹמְרִים נִתְקַדְּשָׁה. וּשְׁנַיִם אוֹמְרִים לֹא נִתְקַדְּשָׁה. רִבִּי יוֹנָה מְדַמֵּי לָהּ לַחֲלָבִין. אִילּוּ שְׁנַיִם אוֹמְרִים. פְּלוֹנִי אָכַל חֵלֶב. וּשְׁנַיִם אוֹמְרִים. לֹא אָכַל חֵלֶב. שֶׁמָּא אֵינוֹ מֵבִיא אָשָׁם תָּלוּי מִסָּפֵק. וְהָכָא יִתֵּן גֵּט מִסָּפֵק. אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי יוֹסֵי. לֹא תְדַמִּינָהּ לַחֲלָבִין. שֶׁכֵּן אֲפִילוּ אָמַר. לִבִּי נוֹקְרֵינִי. מֵבִיא אָשָׁם תָּלוּי. מַתְנִיתָא פְלִיגָא עַל רִבִּי יוֹסֵי. שְׁנַיִם אוֹמְרִים. נִתְקַדְּשָׁה. וּשְׁנַיִם אוֹמְרִים. לֹא נִתְקַדְּשָׁה. לֹא תִינָּשֵׂא. וְסֵיפָא פְלִיג עַל רִבִּי יוֹנָה. אִם נִישֵּׂאת תֵּצֵא. אָמַר רִבִּי מָנָא. לֹא דְּרִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר. תִּינָּשֵׂא. וְלֹא דְרִבִּי יוֹנָה אָמַר אִם נִישֵּׂאת תֵּצֵא. לֹא אָמַר לָהּ אֶלָּא לֹא תְדַמִּינָהּ לַחֲלָבִים. שֶּׁאֲפִילוּ אָמַר. לִבִּי נוֹקְרֵינִי. מֵבִיא אָשָׁם תָּלוּי.

If two are saying, she had been betrothed and two are saying she had not been betrothed. Rebbi Jonah compares that to fat. If two would say, X ate fat, and two would say, X did not eat fat, did he not have to bring a “hung” reparation sacrifice because of the doubt? Here, he should give a bill of divorce because of the doubt. Rebbi Yose said to him, do not compare this to fat, because even if he says my conscience bothers me, he brings a “hung” reparation sacrifice. A baraita disagrees with Rebbi Yose: If two are saying she had been betrothed and two are saying she had not been betrothed, she should not be married. The end disagrees with Rebbi Jonah: If she married she must leave. Rebbi Mana said, Rebbi Yose did not say that she may marry, nor did Rebbi Jonah say if she married she must leave, he said only, do not compare this to fat, because even if he says my conscience bothers me, he brings a “hung” reparation sacrifice.