Monday, September 19, 2016

Shashuei Ha-daf - Kiddushin 2a: Is Chalitza A Kinyan?

לזכות אסתר ביילא בת רות דבורה לזיווג הגון במהרה!!
רחל בת גאולה לברכה והצלחה בכל מעשי ידיה!!

The Yerushalmi in numerous places [יבמות פ"א ה"א ופ"ג ה"א] presents a machlokes as to the nature of chalitza. Some say that it is a kinyan which means that the yavam acquires her and releases her with a kinyan chalitza. Others say that there is no kinyan involved and it is just a פטור - a mere release from the bond that had been created when her husband died.

The Rogochover [on the margin of his gemara] pointed out that the first mishna in Kiddushin would seem to bear out the opinion that it is a kinyan. The Mishna says וקונה את עצמה בחליצה - She acquires herself with chalitza. That sounds like a kinyan - no??

He defends the other opinion by saying דמ"מ הזיקה של המת פקעה - In other words, until now there was a bond with the yavam and now it is being broken off. So the Mishna doesn't literally mean that it is a kinyan. 

In a number of places the Rogochover discusses whether זיקה is a remnant of the kinyan of the dead husband or a new bond created after the husbands death. The Acharonim argue about this point [See Asvan Di-raisa Klal Ches at length]. From the language of the Rogochover here we see that he is learning that it is a remnant of the husband's kinyan - "הזיקה של המת". 

ישמע חכם ויוסף לקח!

[עפ"י צפנת פענח עמ"ס קידושין עמ' א]