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Nedarim 19a

נדרים י״ט ע״א

Learn Nedarim 19a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Nedarim 19a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Doubtful נזירות: רבי זירא's attribution to רבי אליעזר, its challenges from בכורות and doubtful liquids, and the new split between רבי יהודה and רבי שמעון

Overview

The גמרא is working on a contradiction between our משנה, which is strict about unclear vows, and another משנה that treats a doubtful נזירות leniently. רבי זירא explains that the lenient משנה follows רבי אליעזר: a person does not put himself into a doubtful state of holiness. אביי challenges this from the next clause of that משנה, about doubtful בכורות, which a ברייתא forbids to shear or work. רבי זירא answers that a בכור becomes holy by itself, while נזירות depends on a person's choice. The גמרא then raises a stronger problem from the same משנה. A doubtful liquid is called טמא itself, yet a ברייתא quotes רבי אליעזר saying liquids have no טומאה at all. This works according to שמואל's reading of that ברייתא but not according to רב's. So the גמרא gives a new answer: the lenient משנה follows רבי יהודה and our strict משנה follows רבי שמעון, as shown by their dispute about a heap of grain that went missing. Finally, the גמרא starts to challenge רבי יהודה from his own ruling about unspecified תרומה, and that challenge continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

כׇּל שֶׁכֵּן

All the more so

דְּלָא מְעַיֵּיל לִסְפֵיקָא.

that he does not enter [himself] into a doubt.

אֲמַר לֵיהּ אַבָּיֵי: בְּמַאי אוֹקֵימְתָּא

Abaye said to him: How did you establish

לִסְפֵק נְזִירוּת לְהָקֵל — כְּרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר,

that a doubtful naziriteship is lenient? As Rabbi Eliezer.

The steps (12)

  1. ResolutionA person does not put himself into doubt
  2. Challengeאביי quotes the next clause about doubtful firstborns
  3. ProofA ברייתא forbids shearing and working doubtful firstborns
  4. ResolutionHoliness that comes by itself versus holiness a person creates
  5. ChallengeA new difficulty: the doubtful liquid ruling in the same משנה
  6. ChallengeDoes רבי אליעזר really hold a doubtful liquid is impure?
  7. ProofA ברייתא: רבי אליעזר holds liquids have no טומאה at all
  8. ResolutionAccording to שמואל, the ruling fits well
  9. ChallengeWhat about רב, who says the liquids are truly pure?
  10. ResolutionNew answer: a dispute between רבי יהודה and רבי שמעון
  11. ProofProof: the heap of grain that went missing
  12. Challengeרבי יהודה against רבי יהודה: unspecified תרומה