1,955. A Woman Who Remarries Because Her Husband Was Presumed Dead (But He Wasn't)

Yibum v’Chalitzah 8:9

Let’s say that a man travels abroad. His wife receives word that he died so she remarries but then her first husband turns up alive. If both men die and each has brothers, then one brother from each husband should perform chalitzah, to the exclusion of yibum.

Yibum v’Chalitzah 8:10

Let’s say that five women each had a son whose lineage was known, and all five of them gave birth to another son in the same hiding place. These babies got mixed up so that it wasn’t known whose son was whose. The sons whose identities were confused grew up, got married and died so that their five wives fell to the known sons for yibum. The problem is that none of these surviving sons knows which woman is his brother’s wife! In such a case, four of the survivors should each perform chalitzah with one of the wives, after which the fifth son should marry her. [This scenario continues in the next halacha.]