Nedarim 39b

נדרים ל״ט ע״ב

Learn Nedarim 39b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

ביקור חולים: its source, its measure and its effect, with דרשות about קרח and משה

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a proof from the משנה's wording: the visitor may stand but not sit, which shows that the visitor's property is forbidden to the sick person. ריש לקיש then finds a רמז for ביקור חולים in משה's words about קרח, and רבא explains that a normal death includes lying sick in bed while people visit. רבא also explains 'בריאה יברא': if גיהנם exists, good, and if not, ה׳ should create it. A ברייתא says גיהנם was created before the world, so the גמרא re-reads the words as being about the mouth of גיהנם. In the end, משה was asking ה׳ to bring the existing mouth close. Another דרשה tells how the sun and moon stood up for משה, and how ה׳ rebuked them for caring more about a human's honor than His own. The גמרא then returns to ביקור חולים: it has no measure, meaning even a great person visits a lesser one (אביי) or one may visit even a hundred times a day (רבא). A visitor takes away one-sixtieth of the remaining pain, which is explained through רבי's rule of tenths for daughters. The amud ends as רב חלבו falls ill and רב כהנא begins an announcement, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (29)

1. ProofProof from the wording 'stands but does not sit'
2. StatementA hint in the תורה for visiting the sick
3. QuestionWhere in the verse is the hint?
4. Responseרבא explains: a normal death includes being visited
5. StatementIf גיהנם exists, good; if not, let ה׳ create it
6. ChallengeBut גיהנם was created before the world
7. ProofSources for תורה, תשובה, and גן עדן
8. ProofSource that גיהנם was created before the world
9. ProofThe last three items: כסא כבוד, בית המקדש, and the name of משיח
10. Resolutionמשה was asking about the mouth of גיהנם
11. ChallengeNothing is new under the sun
12. ResolutionBring the existing mouth closer
13. QuestionWhy would the sun and moon be in זבול?
14. ResponseThe sun and moon went up to stand for משה
15. Statementה׳ rebukes the sun and moon
16. ProofEvery day they are pushed to shine
17. StatementVisiting the sick has no measure
18. QuestionWhat does 'no measure' mean?
19. Responseרב יוסף: no limit to its reward
20. Challengeאביי: no מצוה has a known reward
21. Resolutionאביי: even a great person visits a lesser one
22. Resolutionרבא: even a hundred times a day
23. StatementA visitor takes one-sixtieth of the pain
24. ChallengeThen let sixty people visit and cure him
25. ResolutionLike רבי's tenths, and only someone like him
26. Statementרבי's rule: a daughter gets a tenth of the estate
27. ChallengeThe Sages object: ten daughters would leave the son nothing
28. ResolutionEach daughter takes a tenth of what is left
29. Statementרב חלבו falls ill and רב כהנא makes an announcement