Niddah 21a

נדה כ״א ע״א

Learn Niddah 21a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Niddah 21a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Closing פרק כל היד with the Tiberian cup, then the new משנה on a woman who passes tissue or odd shapes, and the גמרא's attempts to explain the argument between רבי יהודה and the רבנן

Overview

The גמרא finishes the rules for comparing blood to the color of 'diluted wine.' The standard is new, undiluted שרוני wine, and רב יצחק בר אבודימי says it must be looked at in a plain Tiberian cup, which אביי explains is thin enough for the color to show clearly. The פרק כל היד then ends with its הדרן. A new משנה opens the next פרק with a list of things a woman may pass. For a shapeless piece of tissue, the תנא קמא says she is טמאה only if blood came with it, while רבי יהודה says she is טמאה either way. Small pieces are tested in water, creature shapes need blood, and animal shapes count as a birth according to רבי מאיר, while the חכמים say only something with a human form is a ולד. In the גמרא, שמואל and רבי יוחנן each explain the argument through the color of the tissue. A ברייתא brought by רב הושעיא challenges both explanations, and attempts to save each one are rejected. רב נחמן בר יצחק then says the argument is really about whether the womb can open without blood. He starts linking this to an argument among תנאים, and that ברייתא continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (23)

1. StatementSharon wine is judged like new, undiluted Carmelite wine
2. StatementThe comparison must be made in a plain Tiberian cup
3. QuestionWhy specifically a Tiberian cup?
4. Responseאביי: the Tiberian cup is thinner, so the color shows better
5. ConclusionHadran — Closing the chapter כל היד
6. StatementA woman who passes a piece of tissue: impure only with blood, or always?
7. StatementTiny discharges are tested in water
8. StatementCreature-shaped discharges need blood to make her impure
9. StatementAnimal-shaped discharges count as a birth of a male or female
10. StatementUnknown gender, and the חכמים disagree
11. Statementשמואל limits רבי יהודה to tissue with impure-blood coloring
12. Statementרבי יוחנן: when the color is known, everyone agrees
13. Statementרבי יוחנן: the argument is only when she doesn't know what the tissue looked like
14. Challengeרב הושעיא's ברייתא lists four colors and still records the argument
15. ChallengeOne difficulty for שמואל, two for רבי יוחנן
16. ChallengeThe one problem for שמואל
17. ResolutionSuggestion: רבי יהודה only argues about red and black
18. RejectionThen why mention green and white at all?
19. ChallengeThe extra problem for רבי יוחנן
20. ResolutionA suggestion to save רבי יוחנן
21. RejectionRed and black must be teaching the רבנן's view
22. Resolutionרב נחמן בר יצחק: the argument is about whether the womb can open without blood
23. ProofLinking the argument to a disagreement of תנאים