Yevamot 62b — the Talmud in English

Meitivi

to Rabbi Yohanan from that which was taught concerning the mitzva of being fruitful and multiplying: ![](pamud.bmp "

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Children’s children —

they are like children.

And it entered our minds that this is what the tanna said: If he had already fathered a son and a daughter, and his son died and left a son after him, he joins the existing female.

You have thus learned that if the son died and did not leave a son, his father did not fulfill the mitzva of being fruitful and multiplying.

And we answer:

That was taught —

to complete.

For example, the old man never had more than one son, and that son married a woman and fathered a daughter. And the daughter joins with her father to complete for the father’s father the fulfillment of the mitzva of being fruitful and multiplying.

But if he had a son and a daughter, even if they died, he has no need at all for the children’s children.

Meitivi

to Rav Huna from that which was explicitly taught:

If he had

children’s children —

they are like children

with regard to fulfilling the mitzva of being fruitful and multiplying.

But if

one of them died [from among the children], and he had no children’s children,

[of the children] without leaving children,

or it was found that

one of the children was

a eunuch —

that person

did not fulfill being fruitful and multiplying.

And we conclude:

A refutation of Rav Huna is a refutation!

We learned in a beraita:

Children’s children are like children:

Abaye thought to say [Abaye was inclined to say]: When do the children’s children take the place of the old man’s children, who had a son and a daughter?

When

If there remains

a son for a son [a son for the son who died]

[a son of the deceased son] and

and a daughter

for a daughter [a daughter for the daughter who died].

[a daughter of a deceased daughter].

And all the more so if there remains

there remains

a son for a daughter [a son for the daughter who died].

[a son of the deceased daughter].

But if there remains

there remains

a daughter for a son [a daughter for the son who died] —

[a daughter of the deceased son] —

no.

Rava said to him: “For settlement he created it” —

is required.

But there is settlement, and the mitzva of “settlement” is fulfilled even when a daughter for the son who died remains.

the fulfillment of “settling the world” even when a daughter of a deceased son remains.

And the Gemara infers from the words of Abaye and Rava:

According to everyone —

whether according to Abaye or according to Rava —

at least,

if

two from one [two from the son or from the daughter who died, even if they were a male and a female] remain, while the other died without children —

[two descendants of either the deceased son or the deceased daughter, even if they are a male and a female], while the other one died without children —

no,

the old man did not fulfill the mitzva of being fruitful and multiplying.

And we object:

And

is it that he

did not

fulfill?

But the Sages said to Rav Sheshet: “Marry a woman and father children” [marry a woman and father children] in order to fulfill the mitzva of being fruitful and multiplying.

[so that you can fulfill the mitzva of procreation].

And

he said to them

Rav Sheshet:

The children of a daughter —

are children [the children of my daughter—they are like children].

It follows that even two sons from one child are effective!

This shows that even two sons descended from one child are effective!

And we answer:

There, he was merely dismissing him [Rav Sheshet dismissed them without basis], for in any event he was unable to marry and father children.

[Rav Sheshet rejected their suggestion without serious intent], because in any event he was unable to marry a woman and father children.

Since

Rav Sheshet —

had become sterile because of Rav Huna’s lecture.

Rav Sheshet became sterile, because when he needed to urinate, while Rav Huna prolonged his lecture, he would restrain himself from leaving and urinating.

Rabba said to Rava bar Mari:

“From where is this matter that the Sages said: Children’s children are like children?”

If you say, from that which is written

concerning Laban, who said to Jacob when he departed from him:

“The daughters

that are yours—they are

my daughters.

And the sons

that are yours—they are

my sons!”

It follows that Laban’s daughters’ children are considered like his sons.

If so, does also what Laban said to Jacob,

does what Laban said to Jacob as well—

“And the flock —

my flock,”

mean that

so too Laban said that they were his!?

!?

Rather, certainly Laban’s intention was to say:

Laban certainly intended to say:

“You acquired

the flock

from me [you acquired the flock from me] as payment for your labor.

[you acquired the flock from me] in payment for your work.

That is: they came to you from me.

And if so,

so too, what Laban said, “And the sons are my sons,” his intention was to say:

he intended to say:

“You acquired from me” [you acquired from me] your wives as payment for your labor, and your sons came to you from me.

[you acquired from me] your wives in payment for your work, and your sons came to you from me.”

Rather, from here

it can be learned that the children of daughters are like children:

For it is written:

“And afterward Hezron

son of Perez, son of Judah,

came to the daughter of Machir, father of Gilead, and she bore him Segub.”

It follows that a man from the tribe of Judah married Machir’s daughter.

And it is written

in Deborah’s song:

“From Machir came down legislators.”

It follows that the “legislators” are called Machir’s sons.

And it is written, “Judah my legislator,”

so the legislators are from the tribe of Judah.

Necessarily, they are neither his sons, nor his sons’ sons, but rather the children of his daughter, who married, as stated, Hezron, who was from the tribe of Judah.

You have thus learned that the children of daughters are like children.

And here the Gemara returns to explain our Mishna:

Our Mishna,

our Mishna, in which we learned that a person shall not desist from being fruitful and multiplying unless he has children, implying that if he has children he may desist from being fruitful and multiplying, is

not in accordance with Rabbi Yehoshua!

For it was taught: Rabbi Yehoshua says: If a man married a woman in his youth —

he

shall marry a woman

also

in his old age.

If he had children in his youth —

he shall have children

also

in his old age.

As it is stated: “In the morning [in your youth]

[in your youth]

sow your seed, and in the evening [at the time of your old age]

[in your old age]

do not withhold your hand, for you do not know which will succeed [which seed will be worthy, God-fearing, and enduring],

[which seed will be worthy, God-fearing, and enduring],

or this one.

And if both are equally good.”

It follows that according to Rabbi Yehoshua a person should not desist from being fruitful and multiplying even after he has children, and this is not in accordance with our Mishna.

Rabbi Akiva says

to explain the verse:

If he studied Torah in his youth,

he

shall study Torah

also

in his old age.

If he had students in his youth, he shall have students

also

in his old age.

As it is stated: “In the morning sow your seed,”

and so forth

it says.

They said

the Sages concerning Rabbi Akiva:

Rabbi Akiva had twelve thousand pairs of students from Gevat to Antipras [these are names of places, and they were all between one and the other].

[these are place-names, and all the places lay between one another].

And they all died in one period [at one time, between Passover and Shavuot, as he goes on to explain],

[at the same time, between Passover and Shavuot, as the Gemara goes on to explain],

because they did not conduct themselves with honor toward one another.

And the world was desolate,

because Torah was forgotten from Israel,

until Rabbi Akiva came to our Sages in the south and taught it to them.

And these are our Sages in the south:

Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Yosei, Rabbi Shimon, and Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua.

And they established Torah at that time.

The tanna

in a beraita:

All —

all Rabbi Akiva’s students —

died from Passover until Shavuot.

Rav Hama bar Abba said, and some say Rabbi Hiyya bar Avin: They all died an evil death.

And we discuss it:

What is

“an evil death”?

Rav Naḥman said: Askara,

a death by suffocation caused by inflammation in the throat.

Rav Mattana said: The halakha is in accordance with Rabbi Yehoshua,

who said that even in his old age he should father children.

Rabbi Tanḥum said in the name of Rabbi Ḥanilai: Any man who has no wife

is

dwelling without joy, without blessing,

and

without goodness.

And the Gemara explains the source for all these:

Dwelling

without joy —

as it is written: “And you shall rejoice, you and your household” [“his household”—this is his wife].

[“his household” means his wife].

Dwelling

without blessing —

as it is written: “To place blessing in your home.”

Dwelling

without goodness, as it is written: “It is not good for man to be alone”;

I shall make for him a help corresponding to him.

In the West they say [in the Land of Israel they would say differently]:

[in the Land of Israel they would state the matter differently]:

Anyone dwelling without a wife is dwelling

without Torah,

and

without a wall

that protects him from the transgression of improper thoughts.

And the Gemara brings a source for what they would say in the West:

Dwelling

without Torah, as it is written

in the Book of Job:

“Is

there no help for me [my wife, on account of “a help corresponding to him”]

[my wife, called so because of “a fitting helper”]

in me, and resourcefulness

Torah

has been driven away from me”,

for I must engage in the needs of my household, and my learning is forgotten.

Dwelling

without a wall, as it is written: “A female shall surround a man.”

Rava bar Ulla said:

Anyone dwelling without a wife is dwelling

without peace.

As it is written: “And you shall know that your tent is at peace,”

your wife , when you have a tent, you have peace,

“and you shall visit your dwelling, and you shall not sin.”

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Anyone who knows that his wife is God-fearing ,

and does not visit her

with marital relations at the time of her obligation — he is

called a sinner.

As it is stated: “And you shall know that your tent is at peace [“whole,” your wife in fear of Heaven ],

and you shall visit your dwelling, and you shall not sin.”

But if he does not visit her, he is a sinner.

And Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: A man is obligated to visit

his wife when he is setting out on a journey,

because she desires him more at that time.

As it is stated: “And you shall know that your tent is at peace, and you shall visit your dwelling, and you shall not sin.”

And we object: Is

this —

this law, that a man is obligated to visit her when he sets out on a journey —

from here [from this verse]

[from this verse]?

is it derived?

But

it is derived from there [it is learned from another verse]!

[it is learned from another verse]!

For it is written:

“And your desire shall be toward your husband,”

and they explained it:

This teaches that a woman desires her husband [desires him]

[she longs for him]

when he is setting out on a journey,

and presumably, since she desires him, he must visit her [Tosafot].

He said,

explaining,

Rav Yosef: It was necessary —

the words of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi —

only

to teach that he is obligated to visit her even

near her period,

when she is forbidden to him for marital relations by rabbinic law, for the Sages obligated a man to separate from his wife near the time of her menstrual period.

And how much

is the measure of “near her period

Rabba said: One ona.

The ona [day or night] during which she is accustomed to see the blood of her period.

And these words

apply when he needs to visit her when he is setting out on a journey

for a voluntary matter.

But

when he sets out

for a mitzva,

he does not need to visit her, because he is

occupied,

he is occupied with the mitzva.

The Sages taught: One who loves his wife as his own body,

and honors her

more than his own body [

because the humiliation of a woman is more severe than the humiliation of a man],

and guides his sons and daughters in an upright path,

and marries them

to his sons and daughters

near the time of their maturity

when they are still young [Rashi in Sanhedrin] —

Concerning him the verse

in the Book of Job

says, “And you shall know that peace is in your tent.”

One who loves his neighbors, brings his relatives close, and marries his sister’s daughter,

since a person’s longing is greater for his sister, as a result of this he is found to cherish his wife.

And one who lends a sela to a poor person in his time of distress —