Midrash · Halachah
Sifrei Devarim 270/ספרי דברים ע״ר
א(דברים כד ב) וְיָצְאָה מִבֵּיתוֹ, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָאִשָּׁה יוֹצְאָה מִלִּפְנֵי הָאִישׁ.
1Pisqa’ 2703581. “And she shall go out from his house” (Dt. 24:2)—this teaches thatthe woman is expelled from before the man.
בוְהָלְכָה וְהָיְתָה לְאִישׁ אַחֵר, שֶׁלֹּא תִּנָּשֵׂא עִמּוֹ בִּשְׁכוּנָה.
2“And she shall go and be with another man” (Dt. 24:2)—she should not remarry inher former neighborhood.
גאַחֵר, כְּבָר קְרָאַתּוֹ הַתּוֹרָה אַחֵר.
3“Another man” (Dt. 24:2)—the Torah already refers to him as another[implying that the second marriage should be more successful].
ד(דברים כד ג) וּשְׂנֵאָהּ הָאִישׁ הָאַחֲרוֹן, הַכָּתוּב מְבַשֶּׂרְךָ שֶׁאַתָּה עָתִיד לִשְׂנֹאתָהּ.
4“But if the latter man comes to reject her” (Dt. 24:3)—the verse informs you thatyou, too, will eventually reject her.
האוֹ כִּי יָמוּת הָאִישׁ הָאַחֲרוֹן, הַכָּתוּב מְבַשֶּׂרְךָ שֶׁעֲתִידָה לְקָבְרוֹ.
5“Or if the latter man shall die” (Dt. 24:3)—the verse informs you thatshe will eventually bury him.
ואֵין 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.
6I 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].
זיָכוֹל 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.
72. If, in any case, we are going to includea widow under the rule,what is the Teaching’s point in[the case of] the divorcee?[To explain] that the widow is permittedto the levir [her deceased husband’s brother],but the divorcee is prohibited toher former-husband’s brother[even if he is without heirs].Is it possible to say thateven if she broke faith with her husbandafter 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-documentis forbidden to return [to the marriage],but one who broke faith with her husbandafter her divorceshould not be forbidden to return.
ח(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.
8On what basis do I know thata man who gives a divorce-document tohis dead brother’s childless widow[whom he must either marry or release withthe 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 thatif 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?359The 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.
טאֲשֶׁר 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.
93. “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 thatit 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].
ירַבִּי 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.
10R. Yose b. Kipar saysin 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 betrothalor 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 rulea wife suspected of straying360into seclusion with a man (cf. Nu. 5:11-31).
יאוְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (ירמיה ג א): ״הֵן יְשַׁלַּח אִישׁ אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ וְהָלְכָה מֵאִתּוֹ״.
11And 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)
יבכִּי תוֹעֵבָה הִיא, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: הִיא תּוֹעֵבָה וְאֵין הַוָּלָד תּוֹעֵבָה.
124. “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 onthe status of a child she might conceive].
יגוְלֹא תַחֲטִיא אֶת הָאָרֶץ, לְהַזְהִיר בֵּית דִּין עַל כָּךְ.
13“Do not pollute the Land” (Dt. 24:4)—this alerts the court to be vigilant in the matter.