Niddah 21b

נדה כ״א ע״ב

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

Open Niddah 21b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

A woman who discharges a חתיכה: whether the womb can open without blood, tests for blood or bone inside the tissue, and blood that comes out through a tube (שפופרת)

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a ברייתא about a woman who miscarried something she cannot identify. The תנא קמא treats her as a ספק, so her קרבן is not eaten. רבי יהושע says it is eaten, because the womb cannot open without blood. In a second version of the discussion, שמואל limits רבי יהודה's ruling to a חתיכה with an impure blood color. A ברייתא from רב הושעיא disproves this, so רב יהודה explains that the argument is whether the womb can open without blood. The גמרא then lists views on tearing open a חתיכה: סומכוס counts blood inside it, רבי אחא counts even a red inside, and רבי שמעון בן יוחאי needs collected blood. רבי בנימין says a bone inside a white piece makes it a birth. רבי זירא learns from בבשרה that blood coming out through a tube (שפופרת) does not make her טמאה, and he explains why tissue is different. The גמרא suggests the tube question is a dispute between תנאים. אביי rejects that suggestion, saying everyone agrees she is טהורה, and the explanation continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (33)

1. StatementEnd of the ברייתא: she is a ספק יולדת and a ספק זבה
2. Statementרבי יהושע: the offering is eaten, because the womb cannot open without blood
3. StatementAnother version: שמואל limits רבי יהודה to pieces with the four impure blood colors
4. ChallengeChallenge from רב הושעיא's ברייתא: רבי יהודה rules impure even for green and white pieces
5. ChallengeThe punchline: רבי יהודה argues even on green and white
6. ResolutionA possible defense: maybe רבי יהודה argues only on red and black
7. RejectionThe defense fails: the green and white case must be there for רבי יהודה
8. Resolutionרב יהודה's new explanation: can the womb open without blood?
9. ProofThe ברייתא of the תנאים quoted again
10. Proofרבי יהושע: The womb cannot open without blood
11. Statementסומכוס: Tear open the tissue and check for blood inside
12. Statementסומכוס agrees with the רבנן but is stricter
13. Statementרבי אחא: A red inside is enough to make her impure
14. StatementComparing רבי אחא to סומכוס
15. Statementרבי בנימין: a bone inside makes it a birth
16. Statementרב חסדא: only a white piece
17. ProofA ברייתא from חדייב supports רב חסדא
18. Statementרבי שמעון בן יוחאי: only collected blood makes her impure
19. Statementרבי שמעון בן יוחאי is the most lenient
20. QuestionIs blood seen through a tube impure?
21. ResponseThe word 'in her flesh' teaches two things
22. ChallengeChallenge from the tissue ruling of רבי שמעון בן יוחאי
23. ResolutionTissue is normal, a tube is not
24. QuestionIs the tube question a dispute among תנאים?
25. ChallengeIsn't רבי אליעזר saying the same as the first opinion?
26. ResolutionFixing the wording: the first part is רבי אליעזר's reason
27. Statementחכמים: it is דם חתיכה, not דם נדה
28. ChallengeThe first opinion also says she is pure
29. ResolutionThey argue about cracked tissue
30. ResolutionThe first opinion: smooth tissue is pure, cracked tissue is impure, and a tube is like smooth tissue
31. Resolutionחכמים: even cracked tissue is pure, because it is דם חתיכה
32. ProofSo for חכמים, דם נדה is impure even through a tube
33. RejectionEveryone agrees that with a tube she is pure