Nedarim 40a

נדרים מ׳ ע״א

Learn Nedarim 40a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Nedarim 40a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

בקור חולים: why it matters, its rewards, and how to visit, followed by a side teaching about rain and rivers.

Overview

The amud teaches how important בקור חולים is. When no one visited the sick רב חלבו, the חכמים were reminded of רבי עקיבא's student, who recovered only because רבי עקיבא visited. רבי עקיבא then taught that not visiting the sick is like spilling blood. רב דימי adds that a visitor causes the sick person to live, because he prays for him. Someone who stays away never prays at all. רבא kept his illness quiet on the first day and then had it announced so people would pray for him. רב learns from תהלים that a visitor is saved from גיהנם and receives rewards in this world, which leads to a ברייתא about listening to elders, with רחבעם as the example. The גמרא then teaches when to visit and that the שכינה rests above the sick person's bed, so a visitor sits on the ground. Finally it brings another teaching of רבין in the name of רב, about rain and the פרת, and starts a clash between two statements of שמואל that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (25)

1. StatementNo one visits the sick רב חלבו
2. ProofThe story of רבי עקיבא's sick student
3. Conclusionרבי עקיבא: not visiting is like spilling blood
4. Statementרב דימי: visiting causes life, not visiting causes death
5. QuestionHow does visiting 'cause' anything?
6. ResponseA first suggestion: praying for life or for death
7. ChallengeWould anyone pray for him to die?
8. ResolutionThe non-visitor simply doesn't pray at all
9. Statementרבא keeps his illness private on the first day
10. StatementAfter that, רבא has his illness announced publicly
11. Statementרב: whoever visits the sick is saved from גיהנם
12. ProofProof that 'דל' means a sick person
13. ProofProof that 'רעה' means גיהנם
14. QuestionWhat is the reward for visiting the sick?
15. ChallengeBut we already know the reward
16. ResolutionThe question is about reward in this world
17. ResponseFour rewards in this world from a פסוק
18. StatementListen to elders, not youths
19. StatementWhen not to visit a sick person
20. StatementGod Himself feeds the sick person
21. StatementThe Divine Presence rests above the sick person's bed
22. ProofA ברייתא supports this: the visitor sits on the ground
23. StatementRain in ארץ ישראל shows up in the river פרת
24. Statementרב disagrees with שמואל about where rivers get their water
25. Challengeשמואל seems to contradict himself