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Yevamos 2:9-10

Yevamos 2:9

If a person delivers a get (divorce document) from overseas and he says that the document was written and signed in his presence, this messenger may not marry the man’s wife (because he would have motivation to lie). If he claims that the woman’s husband is dead, or if he says, “I killed him” or “we killed him” – in all of these cases, the woman may remarry based on his testimony but this witness may not marry her (because this would again provide a motivation to lie). Rabbi Yehuda says that if the witness claims “I killed him,” the woman may not remarry (because his testimony about himself is not accepted) but if he said “we killed him,” she may remarry (because he only testifies about his presence at the scene of the crime).

Yevamos 2:10

If a scholar ruled that a woman must divorce her husband because of a vow she made, he may not marry her (because his ruling would then be suspect). If a minor refused an arranged marriage or if a woman performed chalitzah in this scholar’s presence, he may marry her because he is just one member of a court in such a case. In all the cases in mishnayos 2:9 and 2:10, if the man whose words would be suspect is already married and his wife subsequently died, he may then marry the woman his words affected (because we assume that marrying the woman was not his intention at the time). If the woman married someone else and subsequently divorced or became widowed, she may marry the messenger, witness or scholar in question. In all of these cases the woman may marry the son or brother of the messenger, witness or scholar in question.

Author: Rabbi Jack Abramowitz