Kuntres Zikah, by Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk, was originally printed as part of his Ohr Sameach commentary on Rambam’s Mishneh Torah. It analyzes detailed laws of levirate marriage, in particular the “zikah,” or bond, that takes effect between a widow and the brother of her childless husband upon her husband’s death. Understanding the nature of this bond impacts questions such as whether there is a familial relationship established between the brother and the widow’s relatives if she dies before the levirate marriage takes place.