Deuteronomy 25:8

8 Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak unto him, and if he stands and says, I desire not to take her;

Deuteronomy 25:8 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 25:8

Then the elders of his city shall call him
Require him to come, before them, and declare his resolution, and the reasons for it; recite this law to him, and explain the nature of it, and exhort him to comply with it, or show reason why he does not, at least to have his final resolution upon it:

and speak unto him;
talk with him upon this subject, and give him their best advice; and what that was Maimonides ^F15 more particularly informs us; if it is good and advisable to marry, they advise him to marry; but if it is better advice to pluck off the shoe, they give it; as when she is young and he is old, or she is old and he young, they advise him to allow the shoe to be plucked off:

and [if] he stand [to it]: and say, I like not to take her;
if, after all the conversation, debate, and counsel between them, he is resolute, and abides by his first determination, that he will not marry her, then the following method was to be taken.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F15 Yebum Vechalitzab, c. 4. sect. 1.

Deuteronomy 25:8 In-Context

6 And it shall be that the firstborn which she bears shall be raised up in the name of his brother who is dead that his name be not blotted out of Israel.

7 And if the man does not desire to take his brother’s wife, then let his brother’s wife go up to the gate unto the elders and say, My husband’s brother refuses to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of my husband’s brother.

8 Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak unto him, and if he stands and says, I desire not to take her;

9 then shall his brother’s wife come unto him in the presence of the elders and loose his shoe from off his foot and spit in his face and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother’s house.

10 And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that is barefoot.