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Nazir 66a

נזיר ס״ו ע״א

Learn Nazir 66a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

How the משנה's rules about a confirmed זב are read (ספיקו טמא, 'his semen is impure'), and the closing משנה proving that שמואל הנביא was a נזיר.

Overview

The גמרא explains two phrases in the משנה about a זב. רבא says ספיקו טמא is about a discharge that surely happened, where the only doubt is whether it was semen or זיבה. Since the man is already a confirmed זב, that doubt is impure. For 'his semen is impure', the גמרא first suggests that a זב's semen makes impure even by carrying (משא). רבי יהושע's ברייתא does not support this, so רב אדא בר אהבה reads the phrase as אין תולין בה: we don't blame a זב's discharge on a recent emission of semen. רב פפא explains that this is because the זב is weak. רבא challenges him from a new convert, and רב פפא answers that converting is the greatest weakness of all. The גמרא then revives the carrying reading as a dispute of תנאים: 24 hours or only that day. It bases each view on a different word in the פסוקים that שמואל contrasted. The last משנה of the מסכת teaches, following רבי נהוראי, that שמואל הנביא was a נזיר, learned from the word מורה. It also records רבי יוסי's objection and רבי נהוראי's reply. The גמרא then begins with רב's words to his son חייא, which continue on the next amud.

Opening lines

אָמַר רָבָא:

Rava said:

לָא תֵּימָא סָפֵק חֲזָא סָפֵק לָא חֲזָא.

Do not say it is doubtful whether he saw, doubtful whether he did not see.

אֶלָּא וַדַּאי חֲזָא,

Rather, he certainly saw a discharge,

סָפֵק מֵחֲמַת שִׁכְבַת זֶרַע,

and it is doubtful whether it was because of semen,

The steps (21)

  1. Statementרבא defines the doubt in 'his doubtful case is impure'
  2. QuestionWhat does 'his semen is impure' add?
  3. RejectionIt can't mean impurity by touch
  4. ResponseSuggestion: a זב's semen makes impure by carrying
  5. ChallengeWho holds that a זב's semen makes impure by carrying?
  6. ProofPossible source: רבי יהושע in a ברייתא
  7. RejectionEven רבי יהושע doesn't mean the semen itself
  8. ResolutionNew reading: we don't blame the discharge on the semen
  9. Statementרב פפא's reason: the זב is weak
  10. Challengeרבא's challenge from a new convert
  11. ResolutionConverting is itself a great illness
  12. ResolutionBack to carrying: it is a dispute of תנאים
  13. QuestionWhat is their dispute based on?
  14. Responseשמואל's contradiction between two verses
  15. ConclusionEach תנא learns from a different word
  16. ChallengeChallenge to the view that learns from 'when evening turns'
  17. ResolutionThe פסוק just describes the usual case
  18. Statementשמואל was a נזיר, learned from שמשון
  19. Challengeרבי יוסי: מורה means fear of people
  20. Resolutionרבי נהוראי: שמואל did fear שאול
  21. StatementThe גמרא opens with רב's words to his son