1,887. A Woman’s Testimony About Her Yavam's Death

Yibum v’Chalitzah 3:10

If the yavam who married the brothers’ widows died, they are not permitted to marry someone else as was previously the case (because the brothers’ deaths were never adequately substantiated). However, if the yavam married and divorced them, then they are permitted to marry others.

Yibum v’Chalitzah 3:11

A woman’s testimony about the death of her own husband is admissible and sufficient to enable her to remarry or to perform yibum but the testimony of a yevama about the death of her yavam is not admissible and is not sufficient to enable her to marry someone else. The reason for this difference is because the inability to marry while under a levirate bond is just a prohibition, so we are concerned that a woman may treat it lightly. Similarly, a yavam’s testimony about his brother’s death is not admissible and is not sufficient to enable him to marry his brother’s widow; this is out of concern that he might be motivated by a lust for her. Also, a woman’s testimony about her sister’s death is not admissible and is not sufficient to enable her to be permitted to her sister’s husband, and a man’s testimony about his wife’s death is not admissible to enable him to marry her sister. We require that two witnesses testify that one sister has died before the other sister can marry her widower. This is because the testimony of one witness was only permitted to enable a woman to remarry who otherwise would have be forced to remain single (which is not the case here).