Ki Seitzei 25:09 · unit 22

TT #750 · Parashas Ki Seitzei · Seventh Aliyah · Passuk 25:09

The Complete Passuk

וְנִגְּשָׁ֨ה יְבִמְתּ֣וֹ אֵלָיו֮ לְעֵינֵ֣י הַזְּקֵנִים֒ וְחָלְצָ֤ה נַעֲלוֹ֙ מֵעַ֣ל רַגְל֔וֹ וְיָרְקָ֥ה בְּפָנָ֖יו וְעָנְתָ֣ה וְאָמְרָ֑ה כָּ֚כָה יֵעָשֶׂ֣ה לָאִ֔ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־יִבְנֶ֖ה אֶת־בֵּ֥ית אָחִֽיו׃

Then his yevamah shall approach him in the presence of the elders, and draw his shoe off his foot, and spit in his face, and respond and say: “Thus shall be done to the man who will not build up his brother’s house.”

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Yevamot / Sifrei.

TT lemma: כָּכָה יֵעָשֶׂה לָאִישׁ.

Sefaria

Core Text of Chazal

חָלְצָה וְלֹא רָקְקָה וְלֹא קָרְאָה – חֲלִיצָתָהּ כְּשֵׁרָה, דַּאֲמַר קְרָא כָּכָה יֵעָשֶׂה לָאִישׁ – כָּל דָּבָר שֶׁהוּא מַעֲשֶׂה בָּאִישׁ מְעַכֵּב.

English: If she drew off the shoe but did not spit and did not recite — her chalitzah is valid, for Scripture says “thus shall be done to the man” — whatever is an act performed upon the man is indispensable.

On the daf / in context: Only the act that is done to the man’s body (removing the shoe) is indispensable; spitting and recitation are not absolute requirements for validity after the fact.

Type of Learning

Derash identifying the indispensable element of the rite.

What Is Learned

The removal of the shoe is the indispensable act; omission of spitting or of the formula does not invalidate the chalitzah after the fact.