Gemara Clarity

Arachin 8b

ערכין ח׳ ע״ב

Arakhin 8b

Learn Arachin 8b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Arachin 8b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Minimum and maximum limits: a טועה's clean days, quarantine for נגעים, full months, the Temple breads and מילה

Overview

This amud first finishes a ברייתא's list of how many clean days a טועה must count before her doubt ends (her פתח). The list closes with a rule: her פתח is never fewer than seven clean days and never more than seventeen. רב אדא בר אהבה asks why she can't just count seven clean days. רבה answers that the counting is not about permitting her to her husband but about putting her back on a clear נדה cycle. A ברייתא then teaches that uncertain זבות bring a קרבן that is not eaten, except in the seven-day and eight-day פתח cases, and the גמרא rereads its wording. A new משנה says quarantine for נגעים lasts from one week (נגעי אדם) to three weeks (נגעי בתים). רב פפא ties this to the פסוק 'צדקתך כהררי אל', which leads to a dispute between רב יהודה and רבה about its plain meaning, rooted in whether God כובש or נושא. Finally, a משנה lists more minimums and maximums: full months in a year, the שתי הלחם, the לחם הפנים and מילה. The גמרא begins explaining why no more than eight months are made full, and that answer continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

״שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר״ — פִּתְחָהּ שְׁמוֹנָה.

If she says 'twelve' — her opening is eight.

״שְׁלֹשָׁה עָשָׂר״ — פִּתְחָהּ שִׁבְעָה.

If she says 'thirteen' — her opening is seven.

שֶׁאֵין פֶּתַח בְּטוֹעָה

For there is no opening for a woman who has lost track

פָּחוֹת מִשִּׁבְעָה,

in fewer than seven,

The steps (23)

  1. StatementTwelve days of blood means eight clean days; thirteen means seven
  2. ConclusionThe general rule: between seven and seventeen clean days
  3. ChallengeWhy not just count seven clean days?
  4. ResolutionThe counting is meant to fix her cycle, not to permit her to her husband
  5. StatementA ברייתא about uncertain women bringing a זבה's offering
  6. ChallengeTwo problems with the ברייתא's wording
  7. ResolutionRereading the ברייתא: זבות who are unsure
  8. StatementQuarantine for leprous marks lasts one to three weeks
  9. StatementMinimum is for marks on a person, maximum is for marks on houses
  10. Statementרב פפא links a פסוק in תהלים to the two kinds of marks
  11. QuestionWhat is the plain meaning of the verse?
  12. Responseרב יהודה: without God's kindness, no one could survive His judgment
  13. Responseרבה: God's kindness is great because His judgments are deep
  14. QuestionWhat is the root of their disagreement?
  15. ResponseThe answer: an older dispute about hiding away or lifting
  16. ConclusionMatching each sage to each side
  17. StatementNew משנה: how many full months in a year
  18. StatementWhen the שתי הלחם and the לחם הפנים are eaten
  19. StatementWhen a baby boy has his מילה
  20. QuestionWhat does 'it did not seem more than eight' mean?
  21. Responseרב הונא: The חכמים did not want more than eight full months
  22. QuestionWhy not nine full months?
  23. ResponseThe answer begins: 'If so'