Yevamos - Daf 61
- קברי עובדי כהנים אינן מטמאין באהל
It was taught in a Baraisa: Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai used to say: קברי עובדי כוכבים אינן מטמאין באהל – The graves of idolaters do not transmit tumah by way of an ohel, for it is stated in a passuk in Yechezkel: "ואתן צאני צאן מרעיתי אדם אתם" – Now you, my sheep, the sheep of My pasture, you are Adam. Since the passuk refers to Yisroel as Adam we can learn, אתם קרויין "אדם" ואין העובדי כוכבים קרויין "אדם" – You are referred to as “Adam” but idolaters are not referred to as “Adam.” Since the passuk that discusses tumas ohel mentions “Adam” we can learn that tumas ohel only applies to Yisroel and not idolaters. When the Gemara challenges this based on the passuk discussing the spoils from the war with Midyan, where the idolaters are referred to as “Adam,” it answers that that was only to contrast the idolaters from the animals that are also listed there.
- Who is considered a zonah?
The third Mishnah on the Daf states: כהן הדיוט לא ישא אילונית – An ordinary Kohen may not marry an aylonis, אלא אם כן יש לו אשה ובנים – unless he has another wife or already has children. Rebbe Yehudah says that even if he has another wife or children, he may not marry her, שהיא זונה האמורה בתורה – because she is a zonah mentioned in the Torah, (who is forbidden to a Kohen). But the Chochomim say: A zonah is only a giyores, an emancipated slavewoman or a woman who has engaged in illicit relations. The Gemara brings a Baraisa with six opinions regarding who is considered a zonah. Rebbe Eliezer says a zonah is as her name implies, an adulteress. Rebbe Akiva says, זו מפקרת – it refers to someone who has made herself hefker to many men. Rashi explains that she is not considered a zonah if she just had non-marital relations with just one man. Rebbe Masya ben Charash says that even a husband who has relations with his wife while on the way to make her drink the sotah waters, which he is forbidden to do, makes his wife a zonah. Rebbe Yehudah says a zonah is an aylonis. The Chochomim hold that a zonah is only a giyores, a משוחררת or a woman who had an illicit relationship. Rebbe Elazar says, פנוי הבא על הפנויה שלא לשם אישות עשאה זונה – an unmarried man who has relations with an unmarried woman makes her a zonah.
- לא יבטל אדם מפריה ורביה אלא אם כן יש לו בנים
The next Mishnah states: לא יבטל אדם מפריה ורביה אלא אם כן יש לו בנים – A man may not abstain from procreation unless he has children. The Gemara infers from here, הא יש לו בנים מפריה ורביה בטיל מאשה לא בטיל – if he has children he may abstain from procreation, but he may not abstain from a wife, meaning, he is still chayav to be married. Rashi clarifies that he needs to be married but he does not need to look for a woman who is capable of having children. This supports the ruling that Rav Nachman made in the name of Shmuel, that even though a man has many children, אסור לעמוד בלא אשה שנאמר "לא טוב היות אדם לבדו" – it is forbidden for a man to remain without a wife, for it says in the passuk: It is not good that man be alone. The Gemara says that if he has children, he may marry a woman who is not capable of bearing children. Another nafka minah whether one has children, is regarding selling a Sefer Torah. If he has no children, he is permitted to sell a SeferTorah for the sake of marrying a woman capable of bearing children. If he already has children, he is not permitted to do so.
