Gemara Clarity

Nazir 51a

נזיר נ״א ע״א

Learn Nazir 51a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Nazir 51a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

רקב of a מת: which corpse dust carries טומאה, and what counts as a mixture (גלגלין)

Overview

The משנה listed a ladle-full of רקב (decayed corpse dust) as a טומאה that makes a נזיר shave, and this amud asks which dust counts. A ברייתא teaches that the dust must come only from the body, not mixed with cloth, wood, or brick. עולא adds that it must come from flesh, גידים, and bones together, and he defends this against רבא's challenges. רבי יוחנן rules that two bodies buried together become a mixture (גלגלין). רבא explains that the teaching calling dust from two bodies טמא is about bodies that rotted separately. רבי יוחנן also rules that cut hair buried with the body makes a mixture, which leads to חזקיה's question about hair that is ready to be cut but still attached. רבי ירמיה then asks about dust that comes by way of the heel, and that question ends in תיקו. Finally, he asks whether a dead עובר inside its mother forms a mixture with her, and the follow-up question continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: אֵיזֶהוּ מֵת שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ רָקָב?

The Rabbis taught: Which dead body has the law of dust?

מֵת שֶׁנִּקְבַּר עָרוֹם בְּאָרוֹן שֶׁל שַׁיִשׁ

A body that was buried naked in a marble coffin

אוֹ עַל גַּבֵּי רִצְפָּה שֶׁל אֲבָנִים —

or on top of a stone floor —

זֶהוּ מֵת שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ רָקָב.

this is a body that has the law of dust.

The steps (20)

  1. StatementWhich corpse has dust that carries impurity
  2. Statementעולא: dust must come from flesh, sinews, and bones together
  3. Challengeרבא: a teaching implies bone dust alone is impure
  4. Resolutionעולא rereads the teaching: flesh is pure unless bone is mixed in
  5. ChallengeBut the teaching never mentions sinews
  6. ResolutionFlesh and bones always come with sinews
  7. Statementרבי יוחנן: two bodies buried together become a mixture
  8. Challengeרב נתן: a teaching says dust from two bodies is impure
  9. Resolutionרבא explains the case of dust from two bodies
  10. StatementCut hair buried with the body makes a mixture
  11. Statementמשנה: teeth, hair and nails are not טמא unless attached
  12. Questionחזקיה asks about hair and nails ready to be cut
  13. ProofTry to answer חזקיה from רבה בר בר חנה
  14. Rejectionרבה בר בר חנה was unsure about uncut hair
  15. QuestionDoes dust that comes from the heel count?
  16. ProofTrying to prove it from dust of two bodies
  17. RejectionThe proof only covers a whole rotted body
  18. ConclusionThe heel question stays unanswered
  19. QuestionIs an unborn baby part of its mother or separate?
  20. QuestionSetting up a follow-up question