1)

(a)Our Mishnah now discusses the definition of a Mamzer. According to ...

1. ... Rebbi Akiva (in our Mishnah) it is - a child born even from Chayavei Lavin d'She'er (who are blood-relatives) is a Mamzer.

2. ... Shimon ha'Teimani it is - a child born from Chayavei Kares.

3. ... Rebbi Yehoshua - only a child born from Chayavei Misas Beis-Din is considered a Mamzer.

(b)Our Mishnah rules like Shimon ha'Teimani.

(c)The Megilas Yuchsin that, Rebbi Shimon ben Azai relates, they found in Yerushalayim (which mentioned Eishes-Ish) - followed the opinion of Rebbi Yehoshua.

2)

(a)If a man's wife dies, he is permitted to marry her sister. This ...

1. ... is also the case - if he divorced her before she died.

2. ... does not apply - if he divorced her and she married someone else.

3. ... is also the case - if he divorced her and she married someone else and died.

(b)If a man's Yevamah dies, he is permitted to marry her sister. This is also the case if ...

1. ... he performed Chalitzah with her and she died.

2. ... he performed Chalitzah with her and she married someone else and died.

3)

(a)Rebbi Akiva Darshens the Pasuk "Lo Yikach Ish es Eishes Aviv, v'Lo Yegaleh Kenaf Aviv" like Rebbi Yehudah his Talmid - according to whom the Pasuk is referring to the woman whom his father raped (which is only a case of Chayavei Lavin).

(b)Rebbi Akiva now learns from the fact that the Pasuk "Lo Yavo Mamzer ... " is written just before the Pasuk of "Lo Yikach Ish ... " - the principle 'Yesh Mamzer me'Chayavei Lavin'.

(c)Rebbi Sima'i includes in Rebbi Akiva's list the children of Chayavei Lavin that are not blood-relatives. Rebbi Yeshevav includes even Chayavei Aseh. An example of ...

1. ... Chayavei Lavin that are not relatives - is Machzir Gerushaso mi'she'Nis'eis, or an Amoni and a Mamzer who married a Bas Yisrael.

2. ... Chayavei Aseh is - a first or second generation Mitzri or Edomi who married a Bas Yisrael.

(d)The exceptions according to Rebbi Sima'i - are Almanah l'Kohen Gadol and the other Isurei Kehunah (whose children are Chalalim, but not Mamzerim).

4)

(a)Rebbi Sima'i and Rebbi Yeshevav both derive their opinions from the same source - from the extra 'Vav' in "v'Lo Yegaleh ... ".

(b)Shimon ha'Teimani learns that a Mamzer is the product of Chayavei Kerisus from the same source as the above Tana'im derive their respective opinions, only he explains the Pasuk " ... v'Lo Yegaleh Kenaf Aviv" like the Rabanan of Rebbi Yehudah - in whose opinion, the Pasuk refers to his father's Shomeres Yavam (which is a case of Chayavei Kares, because she is also his father's brother's wife).

(c)Irrespective of whether "v'Lo Yegaleh ... " refers to Anusas Aviv or to Shomeres Yavam shel Aviv, Rebbi Yehoshua asks why the Pasuk needs to write "Lo Yikach Ish es Eishes Aviv"? Why will it not suffice just to write "v'Lo Yegaleh Kenaf Aviv"?

(d)He therefore Darshens the Pasuk - that from "Lo Yikach" (his father's wife, which is a case of Chayavei Misah) until "Lo Yegaleh" (exclusively), the child is a Mamzer, but not less than that.

5)

(a)According to Rebbi Yehoshua, the Torah inserts "Lo Yegaleh" if he holds that it refers to ...

1. ... Shomeres Yavam - in order to add a second Lav to the existing one.

2. ... Anusas Aviv - to inform us that he is forbidden to have relations with the woman that his father raped.

6)

(a)Everyone agrees, says Abaye, that the child of a Nidah and a Sotah is not a Mamzer. 'Everyone' - in the case of ...

1. ... a Nidah, incorporates Shimon ha'Teimani.

2. ... a Sotah, Rebbi Akiva.

(b)This is because in both cases - the Kidushin would be effective.

(c)We learn from the Pasuk "va'Tehi Nidasah Alav" - that Kidushin is effective on a Nidah.

7)

(a)When Abaye says that Kidushin is effective on a Sotah - he means that the Kidushin with her husband remains intact.

(b)What makes 'Sotah' a Chidush, according to Rebbi Akiva - is the fact that by Machzir Gerushaso (which is also not Chayavei Lavin di'She'er), he declares the child to be a Mamzer.

(c)According to Rebbi Akiva in our Mishnah - Sotah is not a Chidush, because he holds there that a child born from Chayavei Lavin that are not di'She'er is not a Mamzer.

(d)The Beraisa adds Shomeres Yavam to the above list. Abaye omits it because he is unsure whether to learn like Rav or Shmuel. Each one learns his opinion from the Pasuk "Lo Siheyeh Eishes ha'Mes l'Ish Zar".

1. Rav explains the Pasuk to mean - that there is no Kidushin on a Shomeres Yavam.

2. Shmuel is not sure - whether to learn like Rav, or whether to explain that the Torah comes to forbid her even though Kidushin is effective (since the Torah uses the Lashon "Lo Tiheyeh"). Note: It is not clear however, why Abaye ignores a Beraisa in favor of Rav and Shmuel, nor how Rav and Shmuel can ignore a Beraisa (though Rav has the power of a Tana). See also Tosfos DH 'ha'Kol'.

8)

(a)Shimon ben Azai in our Mishnah cited a Megilas Yuchsin that he found in Yerushalayim. In a Beraisa, he adds two statements that were written there. One of them - 'Mishnas Rebbi Eliezer ben Yakov Kav v'Naki' (meaning that Rebbi Eliezer ben Yakov does not speak often in the Mishnah [according to others, 'Mishnas' incorporates Beraisos], but that, when he does, it is always Halachah.

(b)The third statement contained in the Megilah is - that King Menasheh killed Yeshayah ha'Navi.

9)

(a)Menasheh queried Yeshayah's statement ...

1. ... "va'Er'eh es Hash-m Yoshev al Kisei Ram v'Nisa" - from the Pasuk in Ki Sisa "Ki Lo Yir'ani ha'Adam va'Chai".

2. ... "Dirshu Hash-m b'Himatz'o" - from the Pasuk in Va'eschanan "Mi ka'Hashem Elokeinu b'Chol Kor'einu Eilav".

3. ... (quoting Hash-m to Chizkiyahu) "v'Hosafti al Yamecha Chamesh Esrei Shanah" - from the Pasuk in Mishpatim "es Mispar Yamecha Amalei" (which he interpreted to mean that Hash-m will fill in the Tzadik's allotted years - but no more).

(b)Yeshayah justified each of these statements - by claiming that ...

1. ... he saw Hash-m with an unclear vision, whereas Moshe had declared that it was impossible to see him with a clear vision.

2. ...he was exhorting individuals to find Hash-m when He is to be found, whereas Moshe was referring to the community (for whom the gates of prayer are never closed.

3. ... he interpreted the Pasuk "es Mispar Yamecha Amalei" like the Chachamim, who explain it to mean that Hash-m will even add to the years of a Tzadik; whereas Menasheh interpreted it like Rebbi Akiva.

(c)He did not tell this to Menasheh however - because he knew that Menasheh would not accept it from him, and it is better, he decided, that Menasheh should be punished as a Shogeg, rather than turn him into a Mezid.

(d)In the Pasuk that we just cited, Rav Nachman Amar Rabah bar Avuhu explains "b'Himatz'o" with reference to - the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah.

10)

(a)Yeshayah died - when Menasheh cut down the cedar-tree in which he was hiding and sawed it in two.

(b)He died as Menasheh was sawing his mouth - because he spoke Lashon ha'Ra about Klal Yisrael (when he declared that he dwelt among people whose mouths were impure).

(c)Rebbi Akiva, in a Beraisa, who explains the Pasuk "es Mispar Yamecha Amalei" to mean that Hash-m will fill in the Tzadik's allotted years, but no more, will explain that, when Hash-m said "v'Hosafti al Yamecha Chamesh-Esrei Shanah" - he meant that He was merely replacing the fifteen years that He had decided to subtract from him (leaving him with the amount of years which had initially been allotted to him).

11)

(a)Rebbi Akiva proves his point from the Pasuk in Melachim "Hinei Ben Nolad l'Beis David, Yoshiyahu Shmo" - which was said long before Menasheh (Yoshiyah's father) was born, proving that when Chizkiyahu fell ill and was destined to die, his death was premature (proving that the fifteen years were not added, but replaced).

(b)The Rabanan refute this proof however - on the grounds that nobody said anything about Yoshiyahu being a grandson of Chizkiyahu. All Hash-m had said was that he would be a descendent of David.

(c)In connection with our Mishnah, which teaches us that Achos Ishto is permitted after the death of his wife - Rav Yosef said 'Here Rebbi taught a Mishnah that is superfluous' (because everyone knows that one's wife's sister is only forbidden during her lifetime, seeing as the Torah specifically writes "b'Chayeha").