Niddah 16b

נדה ט״ז ע״ב

Learn Niddah 16b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Niddah 16b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

How a woman checks herself around תשמיש (בית שמאי and בית הלל, טהרות, a lost cloth), the ban on daytime relations and its sources, and related lists of hated behaviors.

Overview

The גמרא brings a ברייתא where בית שמאי require a woman to check herself before and after every act of תשמיש in a night. בית הלל say one check before the first act and one after the last act is enough. They argue over whether blood could be hidden by semen, and רבי יוחנן's teacher רבי יהושע sides with בית שמאי. רבי זירא learns that a בעל נפש should check between acts, but רבא says these checks are only for טהרות, and a ברייתא confirms that she is permitted to her husband as long as he left her with a חזקת טהרה. רב rules that if her checking cloth was lost, she must check again, and רבא explains why a lost cloth is different from one she simply hasn't looked at yet. רבי יוחנן then forbids relations during the day. רב המנונא and ריש לקיש each bring a different פסוק as the source. The גמרא shows what each one learns from the other's פסוק: the angel named 'לילה' and free will in יראת שמים, and בן סירא's list of hated behaviors. The amud ends with רבי שמעון בן יוחאי's list of four things ה׳ hates, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (23)

1. StatementHow many examinations are needed in one night
2. Challengeבית שמאי worry that blood could be hidden
3. Challengeבית הלל answer: your view has the same problem
4. Resolutionבית שמאי: once is not like twice
5. Statementרבי יהושע sides with בית שמאי
6. Statementרבי זירא: a careful person should not repeat without a check
7. Rejectionרבא: the whole discussion is only about pure items
8. ProofA ברייתא supports רבא: permitted to her husband
9. StatementLimit on the leniency: how her husband left her
10. StatementA lost checking cloth means she must check again
11. ChallengeEven with the cloth, she doesn't know the result yet
12. ResolutionAn existing cloth can still give proof; a lost one cannot
13. StatementNo relations during the day
14. ProofThe source: night is for conception
15. ProofA different source: 'He who despises his ways'
16. QuestionWhat does ריש לקיש do with the night verse?
17. ResponseThe verse teaches about the angel named 'Night'
18. StatementThe angel never asks if the child will be righteous or wicked
19. ResponseHow רבי יוחנן gets two lessons from the איוב verse
20. QuestionWhat does רבי יוחנן learn from ריש לקיש's verse?
21. Responseבן סירא's list of people who are hated
22. StatementEven entering your own house suddenly
23. Statementרבי שמעון בן יוחאי's four hated things, first two items