For the source text click/tap here: Yevamot 22
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The two components are for a married man to die with no offspring, and to have a living brother who can marry his widow, thus fulfilling the mitzva of Yibum.
The Mishna on our daf teaches that having any brother will allow the commandment to take effect, except for a brother that was born to a non-Jewish woman or slave;
similarly, having any child will keep the commandment from taking effect, except for a child that was born from a non-Jewish woman or slave.
Our daf interprets the use of the expression “any brother” and “any child” to include even the case of a brother or child who was a mamzer– who ordinarily is not allowed to marry into the Jewish community
We explore the cultural history of mamzerut with Professor Meir bar Ilan’s paper on Attitudes in Late Antiquity,
and a review of recent Israeli court struggles with the rights of citizens labeled mamzerim with human rights.