Niddah 12b

נדה י״ב ע״ב

Learn Niddah 12b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Whether a בדיקה is needed before relations, and the ברייתא and ruling about a woman with no fixed וסת

Overview

This amud first finishes a discussion about whether a husband must have his wife do a בדיקה before relations. רבא says that waking her to check would embarrass her. רב כהנא reports that the wives of great חכמים confirmed their husbands never required it. The גמרא then brings a ברייתא about a woman with no fixed וסת. רבי מאיר forbids her to her husband, takes away her כתובה and related rights, and requires a permanent divorce. רבי חנינא בן אנטיגנוס allows relations if she checks with two cloths, and אבא חנן says 'woe to her husband.' The גמרא explains each of רבי מאיר's rules, including why he may never remarry her: otherwise the גט could later be undone and her children become ממזרים. It gives two views of whom אבא חנן was answering. Then שמואל rules like רבי חנינא בן אנטיגנוס, and the גמרא explains that this ruling is about a woman who handles טהרות. The פרק שמאי אומר then closes with הדרן.

Opening lines

The steps (20)

1. Rejectionרבא rejects waking the wife to check
2. Proofרב כהנא asks the Sages' wives
3. ChallengeWhy not ask the Sages themselves?
4. ResolutionThey might be strict only on themselves
5. Statementרבי מאיר: a woman with no fixed cycle
6. Statementרבי חנינא: she may, with two cloths
7. Statementאבא חנן: woe to her husband
8. StatementWhy she is forbidden to have relations
9. StatementWhy she has no כתובה
10. StatementShe also loses the extra rights written in the marriage contract
11. ChallengeWhy does the ברייתא need to say he can never remarry her?
12. ResolutionEven if her cycle later becomes regular, he may not remarry her
13. ResolutionThe danger: he could claim the divorce was a mistake
14. StatementFirst view: אבא חנן was speaking against רבי מאיר
15. StatementSecond view: אבא חנן was speaking against רבי חנינא בן אנטיגנוס
16. Statementשמואל rules like רבי חנינא בן אנטיגנוס
17. ChallengeIf the ruling is about טהרות, שמואל already said it
18. ChallengeIf it is not about טהרות, שמואל needs no checking for the husband
19. ResolutionDifferent students passed down different rulings from שמואל
20. ConclusionHadran — Closing פרק שמאי אומר