Gemara Clarity

Niddah 19b

נדה י״ט ע״ב

Learn Niddah 19b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Green blood in the משנה (עקביא, the חכמים, רבי מאיר, רבי יוסי) and what 'like the blood of a wound' means for the impure red shade.

Overview

This amud keeps working through the משנה about colors of blood. First the גמרא asks how עקביא בן מהללאל can call green blood טמא if the double word 'דמיה' teaches there are only four impure kinds. It answers that either he rejects that teaching, or green is just red that faded. It then explains that the חכמים differ from the תנא קמא, because the תנא קמא leaves other colors in doubt. Next it tries several readings of רבי מאיר's view and arrives at a גזרה שוה comparing her blood to water. The חכמים reject it, because nobody may make up a גזרה שוה on his own. The גמרא shows that רבי יוסי is really the תנא קמא, named so he gets credit. Finally it asks what 'like the blood of a wound' means and gives several models: a slaughtered ox, a living bird, a head louse, a young man's little finger, and bloodletting. A challenge to רב נחמן's bloodletting model begins at the end and continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

לִתְלוֹת.

to leave in abeyance (as a doubt).

הַיָּרוֹק, עֲקַבְיָא בֶּן מַהֲלַלְאֵל מְטַמֵּא.

Green blood: Akavya ben Mahalalel deems it impure.

וְלֵית לֵיהּ לַעֲקַבְיָא

But does Akavya not accept

״דָּמֶיהָ״ ״דָּמֶיהָ״ — הֲרֵי כָּאן אַרְבָּעָה?

'Her blood,' 'her blood': there are four here?

The steps (36)

  1. ResolutionFinishing the previous answer: the difference is about leaving blood in doubt
  2. StatementQuoting the משנה: עקביא בן מהללאל says green blood is impure
  3. ChallengeChallenge: the verses teach only four kinds of impure blood
  4. ResolutionFirst answer: עקביא does not accept that teaching
  5. ResolutionSecond answer: green is red blood that faded
  6. StatementQuoting the משנה: the חכמים say green is pure
  7. ChallengeChallenge: the חכמים seem to say the same as the תנא קמא
  8. ResolutionAnswer: they differ on whether green is left in doubt
  9. StatementQuoting רבי מאיר's words in the משנה
  10. Statementרבי יוחנן: רבי מאיר agreed with עקביא
  11. ChallengeThen why did רבי מאיר speak about a liquid?
  12. ResolutionGreen blood that comes after red blood
  13. ResolutionThe חכמים answer: only fluids that gather and flow out like saliva are impure
  14. ChallengeIf so, the חכמים are right
  15. Resolutionרבי מאיר meant: green blood should at least make seeds susceptible
  16. ResolutionThe חכמים require 'blood of the slain'
  17. ChallengeAgain, the חכמים seem right
  18. Resolutionרבי מאיר learns it from a גזרה שוה
  19. ResolutionThe חכמים: no one may make up a גזרה שוה on his own
  20. Challengeרבי יוסי seems to repeat the first opinion
  21. Resolutionרבי יוסי is the תנא קמא, named to give him credit
  22. QuestionWhat does 'like the blood of a wound' mean?
  23. Responseשמואל: like the blood of a slaughtered ox
  24. ChallengeThen why not just say 'like the blood of slaughter'?
  25. Resolution'Wound' points to the first cut of the knife
  26. Statementעולא: like the blood of a living bird
  27. QuestionWhat does 'living' rule out?
  28. ConclusionThe question stays unresolved
  29. StatementRed like the blood of a head louse
  30. ChallengeA louse from anywhere on the body?
  31. ResolutionThe משנה means a louse from her head
  32. StatementRed like a young man's re-wounded little finger
  33. ChallengeHow can a husband be unmarried?
  34. ResolutionA husband after the חופה but before being together
  35. Statementרב נחמן: the red is like blood from bloodletting
  36. ChallengeA challenge begins from an incident with רבי מאיר