Jerusalem Talmud Yevamot 16.1

משנה: הָאִשָּׁה שֶׁהָלַך בַּעֲלָהּ וְצָרָתָהּ לִמְדִינַת הַיָּם וּבָאוּ וְאָמְרוּ לָהּ מֵת בַּעֲלֵיךְ לֹא תִינָּשֵׂא וְלֹא תִתְיַיבֵּם עַד שֶׁתֵּדַע שֶׁמָּא מְעוּבֶּרֶת הִיא צָרָתָהּ. הָיְתָה לָהּ חָמוֹת אֵינָהּ חוֹשֶׁשֶׁת. יָצָאת מְלֵיאָה חוֹשֶׁשֶׁת. רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר אֵינָהּ חוֹשֶׁשֶׁת.

MISHNAH: If a woman’s husband and her co-wife went overseas and people came and told her “your husband died”, she cannot remarry or perform ḥalîṣah until she has ascertained whether this co-wife was pregnant. If she had a mother-in-law, she does not have to suspect. If the latter left pregnant, she has to suspect; Rebbi Joshua says, she does not have to suspect.

הלכה: הָאִשָּׁה שֶׁהָלַך בַּעֲלָהּ וְצָרָתָהּ לִמְדִינַת הַיָּם.רַב שְׁאִיל לְרִבִּ[י] חִיָיה רוֹבָה. וְתַמְתִּין שְׁלֹשָׁה וְתַחֲלוֹץ מִיָּד. מַה נַפְשֵׁךְ. אִם בֶּן קַיָימָה הוּא לֹא נָגְעָה בָהּ חֲלִיצָה. אִם אֵינוֹ בֶן קַיָימָה הֲרֵי חֲלִיצָתָהּ בְּיָדָהּ. אָמַר לֵיהּ לֹא שָׁנוּ שְׁלֹשָׁה חֳדָשִׁים אֶלָּא אֶצְלָהּ. הָא אֵצֶל צָרָתָהּ כַּמָּהּ תַּמְתִּין. תִּשְׁעָה חֳדָשִׁים. וְתַחֲלוֹץ מִיָּד. מַה נַפְשֵׁךְ. אִם בֶּן קַיָימָא הוּא הָא לֹא נָגְעָ בָהּ חֲלִיצָה. אִם אֵין בֶּן קַיָימָא הוּא הֲרֵי חֲלִיצָה בְיָדָהּ. אָתָא רִבִּי יְהוּדָה בְשֵׁם רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי חִיָיא רוֹבָא. שֶׁלֹּא תְהֵא צְרִיכָה כְרוּז לִכְהוּנָּה.

HALAKHAH: “If a woman’s husband and her co-wife went overseas”. Rav asked the elder Rebbi Ḥiyya: Why can she not wait three months and then immediately perform ḥalîṣah? As the case may be, if there was a live birth, ḥalîṣah did not affect her. If there was no live birth, she has ḥalîṣah in her hand! He said to him: They taught “three months” only for herself. If so, how long does she have to wait for her co-wife? 9 months. After that, could she not immediately perform ḥalîṣah? As the case may be, if there was a live birth, ḥalîṣah did not touch her. If there was no live birth, she has ḥalîṣah in her hand? There came Rebbi Jehudah in the name of Rebbi Eleazar in the name of the elder Rebbi Ḥiyya: That she would not need a proclamation with regard to priesthood.

חֲבֵרַיָּא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. טַעֲמוֹן דְּרַבָּנִן. כִּי יֵשְׁבוּ. בְּוַדַּאי וְלֹא בְסָפֵק.

The colleagues in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: The reason of the rabbis: “When [brothers] dwell,” certainly, not in a case of doubt.

יָצָאת מְלֵיאָה חוֹשֶׁשֶׁת. שֶׁהוּא סָפֵק אֶחָד. סָפֵק זָכָר סָפֵק נְקֵיבָה. סָפֵק מִדְּבַר תּוֹרָה לְהַחֲמִיר. רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר אֵינָהּ חוֹשֶׁשֶׁת. שֶׁהֵן שְׁנֵי סְפֵיקוֹת. סָפֵק זָכָר סָפֵק נְקֵיבָה. סָפֵק בֶן קַיָימָא סָפֵק אֵינוֹ בֶן קַיָימָא. שְׁתֵּי סְפֵיקוֹת מִדִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה לְהָקֵל.

“If the latter left pregnant, she has to suspect,” since there is one doubt, whether it was a male or a female. A doubt in biblical matters has to be resolved in a restrictive way. “Rebbi Joshua says, she does not have to suspect,” since there is a double doubt. There are doubts whether it was a male or a female, and whether it was a live or a still birth.