Niddah 11b

נדה י״א ע״ב

Learn Niddah 11b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Niddah 11b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

דם טוהר and the rule of סתם ואחר כך מחלוקת; when a young bride's blood counts as pure; and when a woman must check herself before intercourse.

Overview

The גמרא first explains that the משנה's exemption from checking for a woman sitting on דם טוהר follows בית שמאי. It defends this with the rule סתם ואחר כך מחלוקת אין הלכה כסתם. A second answer says the משנה speaks of a woman already sitting on דם טוהר. It teaches that a וסת does not carry over from the pure days to the impure days, and this holds even for רב, who says there is one source. Next the גמרא turns to the virgin whose blood is pure. It brings the משנה about a young bride, where בית שמאי give her four nights and בית הלל say until the wound heals. שמואל lists the signs that her blood is no longer pure: the bleeding with intercourse stopped, a night passed without intercourse, or the color changed. The גמרא settles רבי יונה's challenge by splitting the case into whether or not she had intercourse, and a ברייתא supports שמואל. Finally, שמואל rules that the check before intercourse applies only to a woman who handles טהרות. After several challenges, a ברייתא confirms this and adds that it holds only if her husband left her presumed pure.

Opening lines

The steps (28)

1. ResolutionThe author of the rule is בית שמאי
2. ChallengeWould an unnamed משנה follow בית שמאי?
3. ResolutionAn unnamed ruling followed by a dispute
4. ResolutionSecond answer: she is already sitting
5. ChallengeThen why does it need to be said?
6. ResolutionNo cycle from a pure source to an impure source
7. ChallengeThis works for לוי, but what about רב?
8. ResolutionEven with one source, no carryover
9. StatementQuoting the next words of the משנה
10. StatementA young bride: four nights or until the wound heals
11. Statementשמואל limits בית הלל's leniency
12. StatementTwo more signs that the wound has healed
13. Challengeרבי יונה: then why doesn't she check?
14. Proofרבא: the first clause supports שמואל
15. ChallengeThe two clauses contradict each other
16. ResolutionTwo cases: after intercourse and without it
17. ProofA ברייתא supports שמואל's cases of impurity
18. Statementשמואל limits the twice-daily check to pure items
19. ChallengeIsn't that obvious from the word 'morning'?
20. Resolutionשמואל was really talking about the check before intercourse
21. ChallengeWhy did שמואל need to say this?
22. ResolutionWithout שמואל, we would limit the משנה to a woman with a fixed cycle
23. ChallengeBut our משנה is about a woman with a fixed cycle
24. ResolutionOur משנה covers both kinds of women
25. ChallengeDid שמואל say the same thing twice?
26. ResolutionOne statement was worked out from the other
27. ProofA ברייתא supports שמואל
28. StatementThe presumption of purity works only if he left her pure