Study Yevamot folio 44A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
If one of these women was fit to marry into the priesthood and one was unfit, then if he performs ḥalitza, he should perform ḥalitza with the unfit woman rather than with the one who is fit for the priesthood, since doing so with the woman who is fit would needlessly disqualify her from marrying in
Talmud: The simple reading of the Mishnah’s first clause implies that all 4 brothers died. The Talmud questions this: Can it enter your mind to say that all 4 brothers died? If they all died, then who remains to consummate the levirate marriage? Rather, emend the Mishnah and say instead: 4 married
The Mishnah continues: If the eldest of them wished to consummate the levirate marriage with all of his yevamot, he has permission to do so. The Talmud asks: Do they actually leave him to do so? Isn’t it taught in a baraita: The verse states: “And the Elders of his city shall call him” (Deuteronomy
The baraita explains: Appropriate advice means that if he was a young man and she an elderly woman or if he was an elderly man and she a young woman, they say to him: What do you want with a young woman when you are elderly? Or: What do you want with an elderly woman when you are young? Go after you
The Talmud qualifies the Mishnah’s case: No, it is necessary to teach that he has permission to consummate the levirate marriage with all of his yevamot in the case where it is possible for him to provide for all 4 women. The Talmud asks: If so, then the same should be true even if there are many