Nedarim 41a

נדרים מ״א ע״א

Learn Nedarim 41a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Understanding as true wealth, how illness affects a person, death by Heaven's decree, and which sick people to visit

Overview

The גמרא explains the פסוק 'בחוסר כל' (in want of all things) from the curses in דברים. Several אמוראים and a ברייתא each say what the exile will lack. אביי and the scholars of ארץ ישראל agree with רב נחמן that the worst poverty is lacking דעה (understanding). The גמרא then turns to sickness. It teaches that a sick person recovers only once his sins are forgiven, that he returns to his youth, and that illness can make him forget his learning. Two stories show this: אביי restores רב יוסף's learning, and רבי חייא, with help from a launderer, restores רבי's learning. More teachings follow: healing is a greater miracle than the fiery furnace, and when a person's time comes, everything becomes God's messenger, shown by two stories of strange deaths. Finally, שמואל rules that we visit only sick people with a fever, because talking helps a fever but harms eye and head patients. רבא's comment on fever continues on the next עמוד.

Opening lines

The steps (23)

1. Statementרב explains 'in want of all things' as no lamp and no table
2. StatementOther אמוראים: no wife, no attendant, no understanding
3. StatementA ברייתא: without salt and without fat
4. Statementאביי: true poverty is lacking understanding
5. StatementIn the West: whoever has understanding has everything
6. StatementA sick person recovers only once his sins are forgiven
7. Statementרב המנונא: the healed person returns to his youth
8. Statementרב יוסף: illness makes a person forget his learning
9. Statementרב יוסף falls ill, and אביי restores his learning
10. ConclusionThis explains the repeated 'I never heard this' exchange
11. Statementרבי forgets his learning and רבי חייא recovers it
12. Statementרבי thanks the launderer: 'You made me'
13. StatementHealing a sick person is a greater miracle than the fiery furnace
14. StatementWhen a person's time has come, everything rules over him
15. Statementרב brings a different פסוק for the same idea
16. StatementA tall man dies from a tiny fall
17. Statementשמואל sees a scorpion ride a frog across a river
18. StatementVisit only a sick person who has a fever
19. QuestionWhat does שמואל's rule leave out?
20. ResponseExcluded: stomach, eye, and head illnesses
21. QuestionWhy not visit eye and headache patients?
22. ResponseTalking hurts the eye but helps a fever
23. Statementרבא: fever would be helpful if not for the Angel of Death