1,881. Betrothal to Another Man Before Yibum or Chalitzah

Yibum v’Chalitzah 2:19

If the yevama is betrothed by another man, she does not become prohibited to the yavam. Rather, the one who betrothed her must divorce her, after which her yavam may perform either yibum or chalitzah. However, if the yavam is a kohein, and therefore prohibited from marrying a divorcee, she should be divorced by the one who betrothed her – so that he not benefit from having performed a misdeed – and the yavam should then perform chalitzah.

Yibum v’Chalitzah 2:20

Let’s say that another man betroths the yevama and divorces her, but then he marries her after the yavam has performed chalitzah. In such a case, the couple is not made to separate. However, if a man divorced a yevama after marriage and later remarries her, they are made to separate. This is because it resembles the case of a married woman who mistakenly remarried, thereby becoming prohibited to both her first and second husband, as was discussed in Hilchos Geirushin chapter 10. A yevama who participates in promiscuous relations is not rendered prohibited to the yavam, who may perform either yibum or chalitzah as desired.