Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and if he stand, and say, I like not to take her;

And they shall cause him to be sent for forthwith, and shall ask him. If he answer: I will not take her to wife:

and the elders of his city have called for him, and spoken unto him, and he hath stood and said, I have no desire to take her;

Then the responsible men of the town will send for the man, and have talk with him: and if he still says, I will not take her;

And immediately, they shall summon him to be sent, and they shall question him. If he responds, 'I am not willing to accept her as a wife,'

Tunc accersent illum seniores urbis illius, et loquentur cum eo: et ubi steterit, ac dixerit, Non placet accipere eam:

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 (o) 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.
(o) Yebum Vechalitzab, c. 4. sect. 1.