Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Sforno · Torah
Sforno on Deuteronomy 25:11/ספורנו על דברים כ״ה:י״א
אוְקָרְבָה אֵשֶׁת הָאֶחָד לְהַצִּיל אֶת אִישָׁהּ. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהַיְבָמָה מְצֻוָּה לְבַזּוֹת אֶת אֲחִי בַעְלָהּ עַל שֶׁלֹּא חָס עַל בַּעְלָהּ, לֹא הוּתַּר לְאִשָּׁה לְבַיֵּשׁ אֶת הַנִּלְחָם עִם בַּעְלָהּ.
1וקרבה אשת האחד להציל את אישה, [the author, obliquely, established a conceptual link between this paragraph and that preceding it. Ed.] Even though the Torah had not only given permission to the widow in the yevamah legislation to publicly embarrass her brother in law for failing to do his duty by marrying her, but had even commanded her to do so, in this instance, when a wife tries to save her husband’s life by resorting to tactics which embarrass his opponent she is punished for doing so.