Berachos 61a

ברכות ס״א ע״א

Berakhot 61a

Learn Berachos 61a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The creation of אדם and חוה (face or tail), modesty between men and women, and the יצר הרע and the organs

Overview

This עמוד opens with the last words of the previous teaching: everything הקדוש ברוך הוא does is for the good. Next, רב הונא teaches in the name of רב and רבי מאיר that a person's words before ה׳ should be few. רב נחמן בר רב חסדא explains the double יו״ד in וַיִּיצֶר as two inclinations. The גמרא challenges that reading and offers two other explanations: 'woe to me from my Creator and from my inclination,' and the view that אדם הראשון was created with two faces. רב and שמואל then argue whether the צלע that חוה was built from was a whole face or only a tail. The גמרא tests each view against several פסוקים and answers every challenge. This leads into rules of modesty: a man should not walk behind a woman, along with the discussion of whether מנוח was an עם הארץ, and רבי יוחנן's ranked list of what not to walk behind, with exceptions for walking behind a בית הכנסת. The עמוד ends with teachings about the יצר הרע (a fly or wheat), the two advising kidneys, and a ברייתא listing the job of each organ, which continues on the next עמוד.

Opening lines

The steps (37)

1. ConclusionEverything is for the good
2. StatementA person's words before God should be few
3. StatementThe double יו״ד in וַיִּיצֶר means two inclinations
4. ChallengeChallenge: animals also have an inclination
5. ResolutionNew reading: woe from my Creator and woe from my inclination
6. ResolutionAnother explanation: אדם הראשון was created with two faces
7. StatementWhat was the צלע taken from אדם: a face or a tail?
8. ChallengeHow does the 'tail' view explain 'behind and before'?
9. Resolutionרבי אמי: last in creation, first for punishment
10. QuestionWhich punishment does 'before' refer to?
11. ChallengeIt cannot be the punishment after the snake
12. ResponseIt means the punishment of the flood
13. ChallengeHow does the tail view explain the double יו״ד?
14. ResolutionThe double letter teaches two woes
15. ChallengeHow does the tail view explain 'male and female He created them'?
16. ResolutionGod first planned two but created one
17. ChallengeHow does the tail view explain 'He closed up the flesh'?
18. ResolutionClosing the place of the cut
19. ChallengeHow does the face view explain 'He built'?
20. ResolutionBuilding means God braided חוה's hair
21. ResolutionBuilding means God shaped חוה like a storehouse
22. StatementGod acted as the שושבין of אדם הראשון
23. QuestionWhich face walked in front?
24. ResponseThe man's face walked in front
25. ProofProof: a man should not walk behind a woman
26. StatementHanding money to a woman in order to look at her
27. Statementרב נחמן says מנוח was an ignoramus
28. ChallengeThe same wording is used about אלקנה and אלישע
29. RejectionFollowing her words and her advice
30. Statementרב אשי: by רב נחמן's view, מנוח never even learned in school
31. StatementBetter to walk behind a lion than behind a woman
32. StatementFour exceptions to walking behind a shul
33. StatementThe evil inclination is like a fly
34. StatementThe evil inclination is like wheat
35. StatementTwo kidneys: one advises good, one advises bad
36. ProofThe good kidney is on the right
37. StatementA ברייתא listing what each organ does