Bartenura on Mishnah Yevamot Chapter 8
Can copy this into an AI, or connect the whole library to your assistant. For deeper learning, you can directly use the original seforim, sites, and apps.
הֶעָרֵל. כֹּהֵן עָרֵל שֶׁמֵּתוּ אֶחָיו מֵחֲמַת מִילָה:
הערל – an uncircumcised Kohen whose brotherws died on account of ritual circumcision.
אֵינוֹ אוֹכֵל בַּתְּרוּמָה. דְּיָלְפִינַן מִפֶּסַח דִּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ (שמות יב) וְכָל עָרֵל לֹא יֹאכַל בּוֹ:
אינו אוכל בתרומה – that we derive from the Passover sacrifice, as it is written concerning it (Exodus 12:48): “But no uncircumcised person may eat of it.”
נְשֵׁיהֶם וְעַבְדֵיהֶם יֹאכְלוּ. דְּהָא מִשּׁוּם עָרְלָה וְטֻמְאָה לֹא נָפְקֵי מִכְּלַל כֹּהֲנִים, אֶלָּא דְּאִינְהוּ גּוּפַיְהוּ מְחֻסָּרִים תַּקָּנָה:
ונשיה ועבדיהם יאכלו – for this is on account of the uncircumcised membrum and ritual uncleanness are not excluded from the community of [Kohanim] but rather, they themselves lack a remedy.
נְשֵׁיהֶם לֹא יֹאכֵלוּ. דְּשַׁוְיָהּ חֲלָלָה בְּבִיאָתוֹ, דְּנִבְעֲלָה לַפָּסוּל לָהּ:
נשיהם לא יאכלו – [she is considered] a priest’s wife illegitimately married to him through his coition for through her having intercourse to disqualify her.
וְאִם לֹא יְדָעָהּ. שֶׁהָיְתָה נְשׂוּאָה לוֹ קֹדֶם לָכֵן וְלֹא בָּא עָלֶיהָ לְאַחַר שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה פְּצוּעַ דַּכָּא:
ואם לא ידעה – that she was married to him beforehand; and he did not come upon her [in sexual intercourse] after he became one whose testicles are crushed.
וְאִם נִשְׁתַּיֵּר מֵהָעֲטָרָה. שֶׁנֶּחְתַּךְ מֵהָעֲטָרָה וְאֵילָךְ, כָּשֵׁר, שֶׁאֵין גִּיד אֶלָּא מֵהָעֲטָרָה וּלְמַעְלָה לְצַד הַגּוּף. עֲטָרָה הִיא שׁוּרַת בָּשָׂר הַמַּקֶּפֶת בִּמְקוֹם הַמִּילָה. וּבֵין שֶׁנִּפְצַע הַגִּיד כְּמִין מַכַּת חֶרֶב וְסַכִּין, בֵּין שֶׁנִּתְמַעֵךְ וְהֻקְטַן מֵאֵלָיו, בֵּין שֶׁנִּכְרַת, בֵּין בַּגִּיד בֵּין בַּבֵּיצִים בֵּין בְּחוּטֵי הַבֵּיצִים, כֻּלָּם פְּסוּלִים. וְהָנֵי מִילֵי בִּידֵי אָדָם, אֲבָל מֵחֲמַת חֹלִי הַכֹּל כָּשֵׁר:
ואם נשתייר מהעטרה – that was severed from the corona and further, he is fit, for there is no membrum virile, and from the corona and above and to the side of the membrum. The corona is a column of flesh that surrounds in the place of one’s circumcision or whether the membrum is crushed, hidden by the striking of a sword or a knife; whether it was crushed and became reduced on its own or whether it was cut, whether at the membrum or at the testicles or whether at sinews of the testicles (see Talmud Yevamot 75b), all of them are disqualified. But these words refer to [being damaged] at the hands of a person, but on account of illness, everything is valid.
וְאִם לַדִּין. שֶׁאַתָּה דּוֹרֵשׁ קַל וָחֹמֶר מֵעַצְמְךָ:
ואם לדין – that you expound an inference from the weaker to the stronger of your own,
יֵשׁ תְּשׁוּבָה. לְהָשִׁיב, מַה לְּעַמּוֹן וּמוֹאָב שֶׁכֵּן נִתְפָּרֵשׁ טַעֲמָן, עַל דְּבַר אֲשֶׁר לֹא קִדְּמוּ, וְהָאִשָּׁה אֵין דַּרְכָּהּ לְקַדֵּם, תֹּאמַר בְּמִצְרִי וַאֲדוֹמִי שֶׁלֹּא נִתְפָּרֵשׁ טַעֲמָן:
יש תשובה – there is a response to restore what belongs to Ammon and Moab, for their rationales are explained (Deuteronomy 23:5): “Because they did not meet with you [with food and water on your journey after you left Egypt, and because they hired Balaam…to curse you],” but a woman, it is not her manner to advance to meet – shall you say [the same] regarding the Egyptian and the Edomite, whose rationale [for their inability to enter the Jewish people for three years] is not explained?
לֹא כִי. אֲפִלּוּ אִם הָיִיתִי דָּן קַל וָחֹמֶר אֵין לָכֶם תְּשׁוּבָה. וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם הֲלָכָה אֲנִי אוֹמֵר. וְאֵין הֲלָכָה כְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן:
לא כי – even if I would judge an inference from the weaker to the stronger,, you have no response, and nevertheless, I am stating a Halakha, but the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Shimon.
נְתִינִים. גִּבְעוֹנִים שֶׁנִּתְגַּיְּרוּ בִּימֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וּנְתוּנִים לְחוֹטְבֵי עֵצִים וְשׁוֹאֲבֵי מַיִם:
נתינים – Gibeonites who converted during the days of Joshua and were placed as hewers of wood and drawers of water.
שֶׁהַסָּרִיס. יֵשׁ סָרִיס שֶׁחוֹלֵץ וְחוֹלְצִין לְאִשְׁתּוֹ:
סריס – there is a eunuch who performs the rite of Halitzah and has his shoe taken off for refusing the leviratical marriage.
וְהַסָּרִיס לֹא חוֹלֵץ וְכוּ'. דִּכְתִיב (דברים כה) וְלֹא יִמָּחֶה שְׁמוֹ, פְּרָט לָזֶה שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ מָחוּי:
והסריס לא חולץ וכו' – as it is written (Deuteronomy 25:6): “that his name (i.e., the dead brother’s) not be blotted out [in Israel],” except for that whose name is blotted out (see Talmud Yevamot 24a).
אֵין לִי לְפָרֵשׁ. אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ לְפָרֵשׁ אֵיזֶה סָרִיס בֶּן חֲלִיצָה וְאֵיזֶה פָּטוּר:
ואין לי לפרש – I do not know how o interpret which eunuch is required to perform Halitzah and which is exempt.
סְרִיס אָדָם. שֶׁנִּסְתָּרֵס לְאַחַר שֶׁנּוֹלַד:
סריס אדם – who was castrated after he was born.
סְרִיס חַמָּה. מִמְּעֵי אִמּוֹ שֶׁלֹּא רָאָה חַמָּה אֶלָּא כְּשֶׁהוּא סָרִיס. וְסִימָנָיו מְפֹרָשִׁין, כָּל שֶׁאֵין לוֹ זָקָן, וּשְׂעָרוֹ לָקוּי, וּבְשָׂרוֹ מַחְלִיק, וְאֵין מֵימֵי רַגְלָיו מַעֲלִין רְתִיחָה, וּכְשֶׁמֵּטִיל מַיִם אֵינוֹ עוֹשֶׂה כִּפָּה שֶׁאֵין קִלּוּחַ הַשֶּׁתֶן הוֹלֵךְ לְמֵרָחוֹק עַד שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה עִגּוּל כְּמִין כִּפָּה, וְשִׁכְבַת זַרְעוֹ דֵּהָה, וְאֵין מֵימֵי רַגְלָיו מַחְמִיצִין, וְרוֹחֵץ בִּימוֹת הַגְּשָׁמִים וְאֵין בְּשָׂרוֹ מַעֲלֶה הֶבֶל, וְקוֹלוֹ לָקוּי וְאֵינוֹ נִכָּר בֵּין אִישׁ לְאִשָּׁה. וַהֲלָכָה כְּרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא שֶׁאוֹמֵר סְרִיס אָדָם חוֹלֵץ וְחוֹלְצִין לְאִשְׁתּוֹ וּמְיַבְּמִין לְאִשְׁתּוֹ. אֲבָל הוּא אֵינוֹ מְיַבֵּם, שֶׁהֲרֵי פָּסוּל לָבֹא בַּקָּהָל:
סריס חמה – from the womb of his mother, that never saw the sun, but rather, when he is a eunuch and its signs are explained: anyone who lacks the “beard” (i.e., the hair of the genitals) and his hair is abnormal (see Tractate Yevamot 80b) and his flesh is smoothened, and his urine does not produce scum and when he urinates it doesn’t make a pile and the spouting forth of the urine does not travel from afar until it makes a circle like a pile and his semen is feeble and his urine does not ferment, and he washes in the rainy season and his flesh does not produce vapor and is voice is not abnormal and is not recognized as either than of a man or of a woman. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Akiva who states that a eunuch castrated by a man performs Halitzah and his wife removes the shoe of the deceased husband’s brother who refuses to perform levirate marriage, and they perform levirate marriage with his wife but [he] does not perform the role of the levir, for he is disqualified to enter into the community [of Israel].
סָרִיס. חַמָּה, אֵינוֹ לֹא חוֹלֵץ וְלֹא מְיַבֵּם, וְלֹא חוֹלְצִין וּמְיַבְּמִין לְאִשְׁתּוֹ:
סריס – castrated by nature does not either perform Halitzah nor perform levirate marriage, and does not perform Halitzah or levirate marriage to his wife.
אַיְלוֹנִית. סִימָנֶיהָ פֵּרַשְׁנוּ בְּפֶרֶק קַמָּא:
אילונית – her signs we explained in the first chapter (see Tractate Yevamot, Chapter 1, Mishnah 1).
בְּעָלוּהָ פְּסָלוּהָ. שֶׁהוֹאִיל וְהִיא פְּטוּרָה מִן הַיִּבּוּם עוֹמֶדֶת עֲלֵיהֶם בְּאִסּוּר אֵשֶׁת אָח:
רַבִּי יוֹסֵי וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמְרִים כוּ'. דִּסְבִירָא לְהוּ אַנְדְּרוֹגִינוֹס כְּזָכָר. וַהֲדַר בֵּיהּ רַבִּי יוֹסֵי וְאָמַר בַּבְּרַיְתָא שֶׁאַנְדְּרוֹגִינוֹס בְּרִיָּה בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ וְלֹא הִכְרִיעוּ בּוֹ חֲכָמִים אִם זָכָר אִם נְקֵבָה, הִלְכָּךְ אֵינוֹ מַאֲכִיל בַּתְּרוּמָה:
רבי יוסי ור"ש אומרים כו' – for they hold that a [Kohen who is also] a person who exhibits traits of both sexes is like a male but Rabb Yosi retracted and stated in a Baraita (see Talmud Yevamot 83a) that a person who exhibits traits of both sexes is a creature of its own kind, but the Sages did not decide like him whether it is a male or a female. Therefore, he does not feed Terumah/priest’s due [to members of his family].
רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר כוּ'. וְלֵית הִלְכָתָא כְּוָתֵיהּ, דְּהָא קַיְמָא לָן לְעֵיל סְרִיס אָדָם חוֹלֵץ וְחוֹלְצִים לְאִשְׁתּוֹ, וְטֻמְטוּם שֶׁנִּקְרַע הֲוֵי כִּסְרִיס אָדָם:
רבי יהודה אומר כו' – but the Halakha is not according to him for we hold above (see Tractate Yevamot, Chapter 8, Mishnah 4) that a man castrated by man performs Halitzah and his wife removes the shoe of the brother of her deceased husband who refuses to perform levirate marriage and a person of undetermined sex who was torn is like a eunuch castrated by a man.
אַנְדְּרוֹגִינוֹס נוֹשֵׂא אֲבָל לֹא נִשָּׂא. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא כְּזָכָר, וְהַשּׁוֹכֵב עִמּוֹ הֲוֵי בָּא עַל הַזָּכוּר בֵּין בְּזַכְרוּת שֶׁלּוֹ בֵּין בְּנַקְבוּת שֶׁלּוֹ:
אנדרוגינוס נושא אבל לא נישא – because he is a like a male and whomever lies with him is like someone who comes upon a male in pederasty, whether through the male genitals or the female genitals.
רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר חַיָּבִין עָלָיו סְקִילָה כְּזָכָר. דַּוְקָא בִּמְקוֹם זַכְרוּת שֶׁלּוֹ וְלֹא בְּנַקְבוּת שֶׁלּוֹ. וַהֲלָכָה כְּרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר:
ר"א אומר חייבין עליו סקילה כזכר – and especially in the place of his male genitals but not in his female genitals, and the Halakha is according to Rabbi Eliezer.