Devarim 25:8

8 Then the zekenim of his town shall call him, and speak unto him; and if he stand to it, and say, I like not to take her;

Devarim 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.

Devarim 25:8 In-Context

6 And it shall be, that the bechor which she beareth shall succeed in the shem of his brother which is dead, that shmo be not blotted out from Yisroel [see Ruth].

7 And if the ish like not to take his brother’s isha, then let his brother’s isha go up to the sha’ar unto the zekenim, and say, My husband’s brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a shem in Yisroel, he will not perform the levirate marriage with me.

8 Then the zekenim of his town shall call him, and speak unto him; and if he stand to it, and say, I like not to take her;

9 Then shall his brother’s isha come unto him in the presence of the zekenim, and remove his sandal from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that ish that will not build up the bais achiv (the house of his brother).

10 And shmo shall be called in Yisroel, The bais of him that hath his sandal loosed.