Niddah 28b

נדה כ״ח ע״ב

Learn Niddah 28b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

רב's derivation that a טמא טומטום or אנדרוגינוס is not liable for entering the מקדש, and the challenges to it

Overview

This עמוד deals with רב's teaching that a טומטום or אנדרוגינוס who is טמא is not liable for entering the מקדש. He learns this from the פסוק 'מזכר ועד נקבה תשלחו', which speaks only of a definite male or a definite female. The גמרא first tries to prove רב from a ברייתא about a טומטום who saw both white and red discharge. עולא rejects the proof: the ברייתא follows רבי אליעזר, who requires a person to know the exact source of his טומאה. A טומטום can never know whether the white or the red made him טמא. The גמרא then defends רב's source. The 'male and female' words in the זב פסוק are needed for רבי יצחק's lesson, so תרומה is still burned. The extra wording 'from... until' in רב's פסוק teaches רבי יוסי's lesson about things that can become pure in a מקוה, and 'מזכר' limits the exclusion to טומאה that comes out of a male body. Finally, the גמרא challenges רב from the laws of ערכין and begins an answer that continues on the next עמוד.

Opening lines

The steps (26)

1. StatementEnd of the derivation: only a definite male or female is liable
2. ProofA ברייתא that seems to support רב
3. ProofWhy the ברייתא seems to prove רב
4. Rejectionעולא: the ברייתא follows רבי אליעזר
5. Proofרבי אליעזר's rule about forgetting the טומאה
6. Proofרבי עקיבא's view in the same משנה
7. QuestionWhat is the difference between them?
8. Responseחזקיה: they differ about not knowing the exact source of the טומאה
9. RejectionApplying רבי אליעזר's rule to the white and red discharge
10. ConclusionAccording to רבי עקיבא the טומטום would be liable
11. QuestionWhy is entering the Temple different for רב?
12. ResponseThe verse says only a definite male or female
13. ChallengeThen תרומה should not be burned either
14. ResolutionThat verse is needed for רבי יצחק's teaching
15. Challengeרב's verse is also needed for רבי יוסי's teaching
16. ResolutionThe Torah could have just written 'person'
17. ChallengeMaybe 'person' would leave out metal vessels
18. RejectionMetal vessels are learned from a different פסוק
19. ChallengeMaybe the whole phrase teaches רב's rule
20. ResolutionThe extra words 'from' and 'until' teach the מקוה lesson
21. ChallengeThen a טומטום with other טומאות should not be sent out
22. Resolution'From male' means טומאה that comes out of a male
23. ChallengeDoes 'male and female' always exclude a טומטום?
24. ProofThe ברייתא on ערכין needs extra wording
25. ChallengePlain 'male' and 'female' would not exclude
26. ResolutionIn ערכין, 'male' and 'female' are needed for something else