Yevamos - Daf 103
- מן הארכובה למטה כשרה מן הארכובה למעלה פסולה
The Mishnah on Daf 101a stated: If the yevamah removed the shoe מן הארכובה ולמטה כשרה – from the knee downward the chalitzah is valid, מן הארכובה למטה פסולה – from the knee and above it is an invalid chalitzah. This indicates that even though the word regel literally means foot, it can be understood to also refer to the leg. The Gemara contrasts this with a Baraisa that taught regarding the regalim, that the wordפרט לבעלי קבין "רגלים" – is coming to exclude people with wooden feet from the mitzvah of aliyah l’regel. Since people with wooden feet have legs, and yet they are excluded from the mitzvah, this implies that the term regel does not refer to legs. The Gemara answers that it is different here, since it is written, she shall remove his shoe מעל רגלו – from upon his foot. From upon can also be understood to mean “from above” his foot, referring to his leg. When the Gemara suggests then that the chalitzah should be valid even when the shoe is removed from his thigh, it answers that the Torah states: "מעל" from upon his foot, to mean his lower leg, לא מעל דמעל – but it is not valid when it is removed from upon that which is upon his foot, meaning the upper leg.
- What Sisera did to Yael
Rebbe Yochanan said referring to the incident of Yael and Sisera: שבע בעילות בעל אותו רשע באותו היום – That rasha performed seven acts of relations with her on that day, which he basis on a passuk. The Gemara asks why she was praised for her actions when she derived pleasure from the transgression, and Rebbe Yochanan said in the name of Rebbe Shimon ben Yochai: כל טובתן של רשעים רעה הוא אצל צדיקים – All good to be had from the reshaim is bad for the tzadikim. For it was stated that Hashem told Lavan not to speak to Yaakov either good or bad. The Gemara says that it is understandable that even Lavan’s good talk would be bad for Yaakov for perhaps he would mention the name of an idol, but asks what bad is there that occurred to Yael? It answers דקא שדי בה זוהמא – that he cast impurity into her, for Rebbe Yochanan said that the moment the nachash seduced Chava it cast impurity into her. ישראל שעמדו על הר סיני פסקה זוהמתן – When Klal Yisroel stood at Har Sinai their impurity was stopped and they returned to their original pure state. The impurity was not stopped from the idolaters, and that is what was cast into Yael.
- Machlokes if chalitzah done with a סנדל מוחלט is valid
Rav Pappi said in the name of Rava: One may not do chalitzah with סנדל מוסגר - a shoe that was confined due to the possibility that it has tzaraas, but if one did, the chalitzah is valid. With a סנדל מוחלט – a sandal that has been confirmed to have tzaraas, חליצתה פסולה – the chalitzah is invalid. Rashi explains that since the shoe must be burned, it is considered already pulverized, which means the shoe is viewed as lacking the minimal size required for chalitzah. Rav Pappa said in the name of Rava that if one did chalitzah with סנדל מוחלט the chalitzah is still valid. The Gemara challenges Rav Pappi from a Mishnah that teaches that בית מוסגר – a house confirmed as having tzaraas transmits tumah to a person when he walks into it. If the house that is going to be burned is viewed as if it is already pulverized, there is no “house” that the person is walking into? The Gemara answers that it is different here because the passuk states: "ונתץ את הבית" – And he shall demolish the house, אפילו בשעת נתיצה קרוי בית – even at the time of being destroyed, it is still called a “house.” Therefore, the one who enters it, becomes tamei.
