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Why does the Mishna begin Seder Nashim with Yevamos instead of Kiddushin? The zikah connection between a yevamah and her brother-in-law reveals that marriage creates an eternal bond that survives death. This understanding transforms how we approach marriage - as a permanent relationship requiring commitment, not a mere acquisition that can be easily dissolved.
The shiur begins by noting the logical progression in Parshas Ki Seitzei: marriage (Kiddushin), divorce (Gittin), and then the laws of Yibum when a childless husband dies. However, Tosafos (תוספות) of Shalom in Yevamos raises a puzzling question: why did Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi organize Seder Nashim beginning with Yevamos rather than following this logical sequence? Why start with the complex laws of what happens after death rather than the basic laws of marriage formation? The answer lies in understanding the halachic concept of zikah. When a man dies childless, his widow cannot marry anyone else because she has a special relationship (zikah) with the surviving brother. Rashi (רש"י) explains that the original kiddushin money somehow transfers to the yavam, which is why he doesn't need to give new money when performing yibum - he merely consolidates an existing connection.
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Ki Seitzei - marriage laws
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