Study Yevamot folio 97A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
שיאמרו דבר שמועה מפי בעולם הזה. דאמר רבי יוחנן משום רבי שמעון בן יוחי: כל תלמיד חכם שאומרים דבר שמועה מפיו בעולם הזה, שפתותיו דובבות בקבר. אמר רבי יצחק בן זעירא, ואיתימא שמעון נזירא: מאי קראה — ״וחכך כיין הטוב הולך לדודי למישרים דובב שפתי ישנים״.
that they will say a matter of halakha in my name in this world when I have passed on to another world. As R' Yoḥanan said in the name of R' Shimon ben Yoḥai: With regard to any Torah scholar in whose name a matter of halakha is said in this world, his lips mouth the words in the grave, as though he is talking. R' Yitzḥak ben Ze’eira said, and some say this was stated by Shimon the Nazirite: What is the verse from which it is derived? “And the roof of your mouth is like the best wine that glides down smoothly for my beloved, moving gently the lips of those who are asleep” (Song of Songs 7:10).
ככומר של ענבים: מה כומר של ענבים, כיון שמניח אדם אצבעו עליו — מיד דובב; אף תלמידי חכמים, כיון שאומרים דבר שמועה מפיהם בעולם הזה — שפתותיהם דובבות בקבר.
He explains: This is like a pile [komer] of grapes left to warm before they are pressed: Just as in the case of a pile of grapes, when a person places his finger on it, immediately it moves, as the wine bursts through and the whole pile shakes, so too with Torah scholars: When a teaching is said in their name in this world their lips mouth the words in the grave. For this reason R' Yoḥanan wanted his Torah statements to be attributed to him, so that he would earn eternal life.
אחד בן תשע שנים וכו׳. ורמינהו: בן עשרים שנה שלא הביא שתי שערות — יביאו ראיה שהוא בן עשרים, והוא הסריס — לא חולץ ולא מייבם.
§ The Talmud addresses the statement of the Mishnah that this is the halakha both for a boy who is 9 years and one day old as well as a 20-year old who has not developed two pubic hairs. In both cases, their sex are not considered proper sex with regard to levirate marriage. And the Talmud raises a contradiction against this from the following source: With regard to a man 20 years old who has not developed two pubic hairs, they must bring proof that he is 20 years old, and he is established as a eunuch, who may neither perform ḥalitza nor perform levirate marriage.