Deuteronomy 25:8

8 Then the older leaders of the town must call for the man and talk to him. But if he is stubborn and says, "I don't want to marry 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

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

Deuteronomy 25:8 In-Context

6 The first son she has counts as the son of the dead brother so that his name will not be forgotten in Israel.

7 But if a man does not want to marry his brother's widow, she should go to the older leaders at the town gate. She should say, "My brother-in-law will not carry on his brother's name in Israel. He refuses to do his duty for me."

8 Then the older leaders of the town must call for the man and talk to him. But if he is stubborn and says, "I don't want to marry her,"

9 the woman must go up to him in front of the leaders. She must take off one of his sandals and spit in his face and say, "This is for the man who won't continue his brother's family!"

10 Then that man's family shall be known in Israel as the Family of the Unsandaled.