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We learned on yesterday’s daf Bet Hillel believes that if a man was married to two women, one of whom was forbidden to marry his brother, in the event that he dies without children, neither she nor her fellow-wife (a tzarah in the language of the Mishnah), will become yevamot. According to Bet Shammai, however, the tzarah is treated independently and will be subject to the rules of yibum and/or chalitzah as if she had been the only wife of the deceased. The Mishnah comments that their disagreement notwithstanding, the families of Bet Shammai and Bet Hillel continued to marry one-another.
This agreement is somewhat surprising, since the ramifications of performing yibum when it is forbidden can be severe, including the birth of offspring that may be considered to be mamzerim!
Yet the gemara insists Although Beit Hillel prohibit and Beit Shammai permit, and these disqualify the women and those deem them fit, Beit Shammai did not refrain from marrying women from Beit Hillel, nor did Beit Hillel refrain from marrying women from Beit Shammai.
This raises many questions tackled by the daf.
We explore Arguments for the Sake of Heaven… And Not, and how Halacha seems to divide us in current communities.