💍 Mishnah Yevamot 5

רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר, אֵין גֵּט אַחַר גֵּט, וְלֹא מַאֲמָר אַחַר מַאֲמָר, וְלֹא בְעִילָה אַחַר בְּעִילָה, וְלֹא חֲלִיצָה אַחַר חֲלִיצָה. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, יֵשׁ גֵּט אַחַר גֵּט, וְיֵשׁ מַאֲמָר אַחַר מַאֲמָר, אֲבָל לֹא אַחַר בְּעִילָה וְלֹא אַחַר חֲלִיצָה כְּלוּם:

Rabban Gamliel says: A bill of divorce [get] is not effective when given after a bill of divorce was previously given to a yevama. Once a yevama receives a bill of divorce from a yavam, no bill of divorce given by that yavam to her rival wife or a bill of divorce given to her by a different yavam is of any effect. And levirate betrothal is not effective after a previous levirate betrothal was performed, and intercourse with a second yevama is not effective after intercourse with the first one, and ḥalitza is not effective after ḥalitza was previously performed. But the Rabbis say: A bill of divorce is effective when given after a bill of divorce, and levirate betrothal is effective after levirate betrothal, but nothing is effective after intercourse or after ḥalitza. If a yavam has relations with the yevama or performs ḥalitza with her, no other action performed afterward is effective, whether performed by that yavam toward a different yevama or by any yavam with the original yevama.

כֵּיצַד. עָשָׂה מַאֲמָר בִּיבִמְתּוֹ, וְנָתַן לָהּ גֵּט, צְרִיכָה הֵימֶנּוּ חֲלִיצָה. עָשָׂה מַאֲמָר וַחֲלִיצָה, צְרִיכָה הֵימֶנּוּ גֵט. עָשָׂה מַאֲמָר וּבָעַל, הֲרֵי זוֹ כְמִצְוָתָהּ:

The mishna elaborates: How do these laws work in practice? If a yavam performed levirate betrothal with his yevama, and he later gave her a bill of divorce, she nevertheless requires ḥalitza from him. The bill of divorce does not fully exempt her from levirate marriage, as the levirate bond remains intact. If he performed levirate betrothal and then ḥalitza, she requires a bill of divorce from him in order to cancel the levirate betrothal. If the yavam performed levirate betrothal and then engaged in intercourse with the yevama, this is the way to perform levirate marriage in accordance with its mitzva, as the Sages instituted this as the proper procedure for a yavam to perform levirate marriage.

נָתַן גֵּט וְעָשָׂה מַאֲמָר, צְרִיכָה גֵט וַחֲלִיצָה. נָתַן גֵּט וּבָעַל, צְרִיכָה גֵט וַחֲלִיצָה. נָתַן גֵּט וְחָלַץ, אֵין אַחַר חֲלִיצָה כְלוּם. חָלַץ וְעָשָׂה מַאֲמָר, נָתַן גֵּט, וּבָעַל, אוֹ בָעַל וְעָשָׂה מַאֲמָר, נָתַן גֵּט וְחָלַץ, אֵין אַחַר חֲלִיצָה כְלוּם. אַחַת יְבָמָה אַחַת לְיָבָם אֶחָד, וְאַחַת שְׁתֵּי יְבָמוֹת לְיָבָם אֶחָד:

If the yavam gave the yevama a bill of divorce and afterward performed levirate betrothal with her, she requires another bill of divorce to cancel the levirate betrothal, as well as ḥalitza to nullify the levirate bond. If he gave her a bill of divorce and then engaged in intercourse with her, she requires a bill of divorce to cancel the betrothal that took place via intercourse, and ḥalitza to nullify the levirate bond; the intercourse did not affect the levirate bond because once he gave her a bill of divorce she was forbidden to him. If he gave her a bill of divorce and performed ḥalitza, nothing is effective after ḥalitza, as the levirate bond was completely nullified. Similarly, if he performed ḥalitza with her and then either performed levirate betrothal, or gave a bill of divorce, or engaged in intercourse with her; alternatively, if he engaged in intercourse with her and then either performed levirate betrothal, or gave a bill of divorce, or performed ḥalitza after they engaged in relations, nothing is effective after ḥalitza or intercourse. Any action performed afterward is unrelated to the levirate bond. The above principles apply both in cases of one yevama to one yavam, as well as in cases of two yevamot to one yavam.

כֵּיצַד. עָשָׂה מַאֲמָר בָּזוֹ וּמַאֲמָר בָּזוֹ, צְרִיכוֹת שְׁנֵי גִטִּין וַחֲלִיצָה. מַאֲמָר בָּזוֹ וְגֵט בָּזוֹ, צְרִיכָה גֵט וַחֲלִיצָה. מַאֲמָר בָּזוֹ וּבָעַל אֶת זוֹ, צְרִיכוֹת שְׁנֵי גִטִּין וַחֲלִיצָה. מַאֲמָר בָּזוֹ וְחָלַץ לָזוֹ, הָרִאשׁוֹנָה צְרִיכָה גֵט. גֵּט לָזוֹ וְגֵט לָזוֹ, צְרִיכוֹת הֵימֶנּוּ חֲלִיצָה. גֵּט לָזוֹ וּבָעַל אֶת זוֹ, צְרִיכָה גֵט וַחֲלִיצָה. גֵּט לָזוֹ וּמַאֲמָר בָּזוֹ, צְרִיכָה גֵט וַחֲלִיצָה. גֵּט לָזוֹ וְחָלַץ לָזוֹ, אֵין אַחַר חֲלִיצָה כְּלוּם:

How so? If he performed levirate betrothal with this yevama and levirate betrothal with that one, i.e., her rival wife, they require two bills of divorce, each for her own levirate betrothal, and ḥalitza with one of them, to release them both from the levirate bond. If he performed levirate betrothal with this one and gave a bill of divorce to that one, the first woman requires a bill of divorce to cancel the levirate betrothal, and one of them must receive ḥalitza. If he performed levirate betrothal with this one and engaged in intercourse with that one, they require two bills of divorce and he must perform ḥalitza with one of them. If the yavam performed levirate betrothal with this one and performed ḥalitza with that one, the first woman requires a bill of divorce. If the yavam gave a bill of divorce to this yevama and a bill of divorce to that one, they require ḥalitza from him. If he gave a bill of divorce to this one and engaged in intercourse with that one, the latter requires a bill of divorce and ḥalitza. If he gave a bill of divorce to this one and performed levirate betrothal with that one, the latter requires a bill of divorce and he must perform ḥalitza with one of them. If the yavam gave a bill of divorce to this woman and performed ḥalitza with that one, nothing is effective after ḥalitza, and he cannot betroth the rival wife.

חָלַץ וְחָלַץ, אוֹ חָלַץ וְעָשָׂה מַאֲמָר, נָתַן גֵּט וּבָעַל, אוֹ בָעַל וּבָעַל, אוֹ בָעַל וְעָשָׂה מַאֲמָר, נָתַן גֵּט וְחָלַץ, אֵין אַחַר חֲלִיצָה כְלוּם, בֵּין יָבָם אֶחָד לִשְׁתֵּי יְבָמוֹת, בֵּין שְׁנֵי יְבָמִין לִיבָמָה אֶחָת:

If he performed ḥalitza with one yevama and then performed ḥalitza with a second yevama, or he performed ḥalitza with one yevama and then proceeded to either perform levirate betrothal, give a bill of divorce, or engage in intercourse with a second; alternatively, he engaged in intercourse with one yevama and engaged in intercourse with the second yevama, or he engaged in intercourse with one yevama and proceeded to either perform levirate betrothal, give a bill of divorce, or perform ḥalitza with the second, nothing is effective after ḥalitza or intercourse. These halakhot apply both in cases of one yavam to two yevamot, as well as two yevamin to one yevama.

חָלַץ וְעָשָׂה מַאֲמָר, נָתַן גֵּט וּבָעַל, אוֹ בָעַל וְעָשָׂה מַאֲמָר, וְנָתַן גֵּט וְחָלַץ, אֵין אַחַר חֲלִיצָה כְלוּם, בֵּין בַּתְּחִלָּה, בֵּין בָּאֶמְצַע, בֵּין בַּסּוֹף. וְהַבְּעִילָה, בִּזְמַן שֶׁהִיא בַתְּחִלָּה, אֵין אַחֲרֶיהָ כְלוּם. בָּאֶמְצַע וּבַסּוֹף, יֵשׁ אַחֲרֶיהָ כְלוּם. רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה אוֹמֵר, אַחַת בְּעִילָה וְאַחַת חֲלִיצָה, בֵּין בַּתְּחִלָּה, בֵּין בָּאֶמְצַע, בֵּין בַּסּוֹף, אֵין אַחֲרֶיהָ כְלוּם:

If he performed ḥalitza with one yevama and then proceeded to either perform levirate betrothal, give a bill of divorce, or engage in intercourse with a second yevama; alternatively, he engaged in intercourse with one yevama and then proceeded to perform levirate betrothal, or give a bill of divorce, or perform ḥalitza with a second yevama, nothing is effective after ḥalitza, whether the ḥalitza took place at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end. All of these halakhot accord with the opinion of Rabbi Akiva, who maintains betrothal does not take effect on a woman who is forbidden due to the prohibition against betrothing a yevama after ḥalitza. But with regard to intercourse, when it is at the beginning, i.e., the first act the yavam performed with his yevama, nothing is effective after it and any subsequent action is void. However, if it was performed in the middle, and similarly if it was performed at the end, i.e., after some other action that impairs the validity of his intercourse, something is effective after it. Rabbi Neḥemya says: Both with regard to intercourse and ḥalitza, whether performed at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end, nothing is effective after it. If the yavam performed a valid action according to Torah law, any subsequent action is of no consequence according to halakha.