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Nedarim 31b

נדרים ל״א ע״ב

Learn Nedarim 31b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Taking goods on approval (borrower or paid watchman), vows about 'ערלים' and 'מולים', and the greatness of מילה

Overview

The גמרא settles a contradiction: our משנה is about an average sale, while שמואל is about an in-demand sale, where the buyer gains. A ברייתא supports שמואל. A man who takes utensils on approval to send to his father-in-law pays for an accident on the way there, like a borrower, but is exempt on the way back, like a paid watchman. רב נחמן made a middleman pay for an accident on the way back. When רבא challenges him, he answers that a middleman's return trip still counts as the trip out, since he would sell the item even at his own door. A new משנה rules that in a vow, 'ערלים' means non-Jews and 'מולים' means Jews, whatever their physical state, and proves this from פסוקים. The משנה then lists many praises of מילה, each opening with 'גדולה מילה'. In the גמרא, a ברייתא says משה's merits did not protect him when he was lax about מילה. רבי insists משה was not lax but was caught in a real bind. The גמרא then asks why משה was punished, and the answer comes on the next amud.

Opening lines

מַתְנִיתִין בִּזְבִינָא מִיצְעָא,

Our משנה is dealing with an average sale,

וְדִשְׁמוּאֵל בִּזְבִינָא חֲרִיפָא.

and שמואל's case is dealing with a keen, in-demand sale.

תַּנְיָא כְּוָתֵיהּ דִּשְׁמוּאֵל:

It is taught in a ברייתא in accordance with שמואל:

הַלּוֹקֵחַ כֵּלִים מִן הַתַּגָּר

One who takes utensils from a merchant

The steps (18)

  1. ResolutionAverage sale versus in-demand sale
  2. ProofA ברייתא supports שמואל: taking goods on approval
  3. StatementOn the way back he is only a paid watchman
  4. StatementThe middleman's case: רב נחמן makes him pay
  5. Challengeרבא challenges רב נחמן from the ברייתא
  6. ResolutionA middleman's trip home still counts as the trip out
  7. StatementA vow against benefiting from 'the uncircumcised' or 'the circumcised'
  8. ProofProof from פסוקים that 'ערלה' is a name for the nations
  9. Statementרבי אלעזר בן עזריה: the ערלה is disgusting
  10. Statementרבי ישמעאל: מילה is great
  11. Statementרבי יוסי: circumcision overrides שבת
  12. Statementרבי יהושע בן קרחה: משה was punished right away for delaying it
  13. Statementרבי נחמיה: circumcision overrides the laws of leprous marks
  14. Statementרבי: אברהם was not called complete until he was circumcised
  15. StatementAnother view: the world was created only because of circumcision
  16. Statementמשה's merits did not protect him when he was lax about מילה
  17. Rejectionרבי says משה was not lax, but was caught in a real bind
  18. QuestionThen why was משה punished?