The Gemara does not state whether she passed or failed the man's test of her
olfactory ability. Also, it is not clear from the Gemara whether the woman
was his full-fledged wife, or whether she was only betrothed (Arusah) to
him.
(a) The RASHBAM prefers to explain that the woman was fully married to him.
Even though a husband usually inherits his wife, because this man decided to
divorce her if he found her to have this blemish, and they did not reconcile
before her death, he does not inherit her. It is also the opinion of the
PISKEI RID that any woman who dies while her husband has intention to
divorce her is not inherited by her husband.
The Rashbam, therefore, learns that the woman failed her test, and that is
why her husband had intention to divorce her and thus was not permitted to
inherit her. The MAHARSHA explains that this is evident from the fact that
they do not appease each other before her death. According to the MAHARSHAL,
the Rashbam understands that the husband himself was unsure if his wife's
response indicated that she was able to smell, or that she was just guessing
that he was telling the truth about having radishes with him, and thus they
were not yet reconciled.
The Rashbam rejects an explanation that says that the man and woman were
only betrothed, and not fully married, and that the Chachamim ruled that
since he did not go into the ruin to consummate the marriage but rather to
check her, he does inherit her. The Rashbam rejects this explanation because
even if he did go into the ruin in order to consummate the marriage through
marital relations, that would not make them fully married and enable him to
inherit her.
(b) The RI MIGASH and the MORDECHAI agree that it is possible that a husband
will not inherit his wife under certain circumstances. They maintain,
however, that he does not inherit her only in a situation where the blemish
that she has would constitute a "Mekach Ta'us," a transaction (in this case,
the marriage) made in error, thereby negating the transaction (the marriage)
altogether. Consequently, in the case of our Gemara, since the man found his
wife to have such a blemish (i.e. she failed the test), he does not inherit
her because it turns out that he was never married to her -- their marriage
was invalid from the start!
According to their explanation, the case of our Gemara has nothing to do
with the law of a husband and a wife who have plans to divorce (and perhaps
in a case where a husband intends to divorce his wife but has not yet
divorced her, he *would* inherit her if she dies).
(c) TOSFOS and the ROSH (9:16) argue that the Gemara is discussing a
*betrothed* woman (Arusah), whom the man was checking in order to see if he
should go through with the marriage (Nesu'in). The Chachamim ruled that
since he did not go into the ruin to consummate the marriage but rather to
check her, he does inherit her.
How, though, do they answer the Rashbam's question on this explanation? Even
if the man did have relations with her, it would not enable him to inherit
her!
They explain that the man and woman went into a ruined building *that he
owned*. Therefore, if he would have brought her into his own domain in order
to consummate the marriage through *Chupah*, she would have become his wife.
However, since he brought her into his domain only in order to check if she
had this blemish, he did *not* consummate the marriage and he does not
inherit her.
Tosfos and the Rosh reject the opinion that the husband's right to inherit
his wife is revoked by his intention to divorce her or by the possibility of
a "Mekach Ta'us." (See Rosh for additional questions on the explanation of
the Rashbam, and see PILPULA CHARIFTA there.)