(Mishnah): A woman went with her husband overseas. They were at peace, and there was peace in the world. If she returned and said that her husband died, she may remarry. If [he had no children and] she said that her husband died, she may do Yibum;

If she was at peace with her husband, but there was war in the world, or she was quarreling with her husband and there was peace in the world, and she said 'my husband died', she is not believed.

R. Yehudah says, always she is believed only if she returns crying and her clothes are torn;

Chachamim: In this case and in this case (whether or not she is crying and has torn clothes), she may remarry.

(Gemara) Question: Just like you say that if there were witnesses that she is an Eshes Ish, and she says that she is divorced, she is not believed, also here you should say so!

Answer: Here is different when she testifies about death, for if he will come, he contradicts her (and all will know that she Vadai lied. Regarding a Get, even if he contradicts her, it is not known who lies.)

Question: She should be believed to say 'my Yavam died' [for the same reason]!

You cannot say [that she is believed to say so], for a Mishnah (at the end of our Perek) this teaches that a woman is not believed to say 'my Yavam died' to permit herself to marry a stranger; nor to say 'my sister died', to enter her house (marry her sister's husband)!

Answer (R. Ba): Her husband, whom she married willingly, she is believed (we do not suspect that now she hates him, and lies in order to remarry and forbid herself to him). Her Yavam, whom she fell to Bal Korchah (against her will), she is not believed (perhaps she lies in order to forbid herself to him).

Question (R. Hoshayah): If she married her husband Bal Korchah (her father married her off to him), will you say that she is not believed [to say that he died]?!

[A woman is believed to say that her husband died] not only according to Mishnah Acharonah, that one witness [is believed about this] to permit her. Rather, it is even according to Mishnah Rishonah, that one witness does not permit her, she permits herself.

Question: What is the difference between her and one witness?

Answer: One witness is suspected to [try to] ruin her. She is not suspected to ruin herself.

Question: Is one witness believed at a time of war?

Answer: We learn from the following. One man came in the days of Rebbi. They said to him 'where is Ploni?', and he said 'he died.' [They said to him] 'where is Almoni?', and he said 'he died.' They said to him 'did everyone die?', and he said 'if they were alive, would they not come [home]?!'

(R. Yirmeyah citing R. Chaninah): The case came in front of Rebbi, and he said 'whoever married, married; whoever did not marry, may not marry';

(R. Aibo bar Nagri): The episode was at a time of war.

Summation of Answer: This shows that one witness is believed at a time of war. (Rebbi was stringent only because the witness added 'if they were alive, would they not come?!', which suggests that he spoke based on estimation. Also, even though he said so, Rebbi relied on him b'Di'eved.)

Question: What is the difference whether there is peace in the world or war in the world? (When there is war, why is she not believed?)

Answer: When there is war in the world, she thinks that he died, and [really,] he did not die.

This is when there was war in the north, and she came from the north, or there was war in the south, and she came from the south;

Question: If there was war in the north, and she came from the south, and she says 'I came from the north' [what is the law]?

Suggestion: This is not true! She came from the south! (Since she lies, we cannot believe her.)

Rejection (and answer): She intended to permit herself (she thought that she will be believed more if she says that she came from the place of war, for many die there. We do not say that she forbade herself through her admission. Rather, to avoid Igun, we split her words. We believe her about his death - OHR ZARU'A. Surely this is because she is not suspected to ruin herself, like we said above - PF.)

Question: She says that [that he died] in war, and it is not true! [We know that] he died on his bed [what is the law]?

Answer: She intended to permit herself. (We do not say that she forbade herself through her admission. - OHR ZARU'A)