Study Yevamot folio 18B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
שומרת יבם שקדש אחיו את אחותה, משום רבי יהודה בן בתירה אמרו: אומרים לו: המתן עד שיעשה אחיך מעשה. ואמר שמואל: הלכה כרבי יהודה בן בתירה.
In the case of a widow waiting for her yavam to take her in levirate marriage or perform ḥalitza, if his brother betrothed her sister they said in the name of R' Yehuda ben Beteira: They say to the brother who betrothed her: Wait and do not marry your betrothed until your brother performs the required action, either ḥalitza or levirate marriage. This is because until that time the levirate bond is still applicable and the woman betrothed to you is forbidden to you as the sister of a woman bonded to you. And Shmuel said: The halakha is in accordance with the opinion of R' Yehuda ben Beteira. From here one may infer that Shmuel holds that the levirate bond is substantial.
Rav Yosef said to him: And if it were the opinion of Rav, what problem would there be? Abaye said to him: It is difficult because there would be a contradiction between the opinion of Rav and another statement of Rav, since Rav Huna cited Rav, and the conclusion from his statements was that the levirate bond is not substantial. He said to him: Rav Huna and Rav Yehuda each cited Rav. Perhaps they are amora’im and disagree in accordance with the opinion of Rav, i.e., with regard to his opinion? The Talmud answers: Since that which was stated in the name of Shmuel was explicit, while that said in the name of Rav must be explained as an amoraic dispute, we will not leave that statement said explicitly in the name of Shmuel and explain it as an amoraic dispute according to the opinion of Rav.