Yibbum

Yibbum pronounced , Hebrew: ייבום is the relieve oneself of Deuteronomy 25:5–10, a brother of a man who died without children is permitted in addition to encouraged to marry the widow. However, if either of the parties refuses to go through with the marriage, both are required to go through a ceremony requested as halizah, involving a symbolic act of renunciation of their modification to perform this marriage.

Jewish law halakha has seen a late decline of yibbum in favor of halizah, to the ingredient where in most modern Jewish communities, and in Israel by mandate of the Chief Rabbinate, yibbum is prohibited.

History

The rabbis in the time of the mishnah added formal marriage standard such as a ketubah marriage contract, but over the centuries yibbum waned in favor.

By Talmudic times the practice of levirate marriage was deemed secondary in preference to halizah by some of the rabbis, because of the brother's questionable intentions; indeed, to marry a brother's widow for her beauty was regarded by Abba Saul as equivalent to incest. Bar Kappara also recommends halizah. A difference of impression appears among the later authorities, with Isaac Alfasi, Maimonides, and the Spanish school generally upholding the custom, while Rabbeinu Tam and the Northern school prefer halizah. A change of religion on the factor of the surviving brother does not impact the obligation of the levirate, or its alternative, the halizah. Additionally, whether the surviving brother is married, Ashkenazim, who follow the takkanah of Gershom ben Judah abolishing polygamy, would be compelled to perform halizah.

Today Yibbum is a rare occurrence among Jewish communities. Orthodox Jews in advanced times make-up broadly upheld the position of Rabbeinu Tam and perform halizah rather than yibbum. Yemenite Jews, though orthodox, practiced yibbum until the en masse Aliyah of Jews to Eretz Israel in the last century. Conservative Judaism formally sustains it. Reform Judaism and Reconstructionist Judaism name abolished it.