Gemara Clarity

Niddah 32a

נדה ל״ב ע״א

Learn Niddah 32a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Niddah 32a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

רבי מאיר's concern for a minority, why only the girls of the כותים are נדות from the cradle, and the דרשה of "וְאִשָּׁה" for young girls

Overview

The גמרא shows that רבי מאיר is the תנא who worries about a small minority. In a ברייתא he forbids minors from doing יבום, in case the boy turns out to be a סריס or the girl an אילונית, while the חכמים simply follow the majority. The גמרא objects that this may only be a common minority. It answers that baby girls seeing blood is also common, citing three incidents where a baby girl was immersed before her mother. A side question asks why the baby in פומבדיתא needed טבילה outside ארץ ישראל. מר זוטרא answers that it was so she could be smeared with תרומה oil, since smearing counts like drinking. The גמרא then explains that only the girls of the כותים were made נדות from the cradle, because we learn from "וְאִשָּׁה" to separate even a baby girl who sees blood, and they do not. Two ברייתות seem to use "וְאִשָּׁה" for different ages. רבא answers that these are traditions only leaned on verses. The amud ends by asking why a verse is needed for a law that is a tradition; the answer comes on the next amud.

Opening lines

רַבִּי מֵאִיר הִיא, דְּתַנְיָא:

It is Rabbi Meir, as it is taught:

קָטָן וּקְטַנָּה

A minor boy and a minor girl

לֹא חוֹלְצִין וְלֹא מְיַבְּמִין,

do not perform chalitza and do not perform yibum,

דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר.

these are the words of Rabbi Meir.

The steps (21)

  1. ResponseIt is רבי מאיר: minors do neither חליצה nor יבום
  2. ChallengeThe חכמים accept the חליצה part but ask about יבום
  3. Resolutionרבי מאיר's reason: the child may turn out to be a סריס or אילונית
  4. ResponseThe חכמים follow the majority: most children are not like that
  5. ChallengeMaybe רבי מאיר only worries about a common minority
  6. ResolutionBaby girls seeing blood is also a common minority
  7. ChallengeWhy did the baby in פומבדיתא need immersion at all?
  8. ResolutionThe immersion was so she could be smeared with תרומה oil
  9. ChallengeWhy do we need a פסוק for drinking?
  10. ResolutionThe פסוק really adds smearing
  11. ProofA second פסוק that smearing is like drinking
  12. ChallengeThen our girls should also be נדות
  13. ResolutionWe separate our girls; the כותים do not
  14. QuestionWhat is the דרשה of אשה and ואשה?
  15. ResponseEven a one-day-old girl can be a נדה
  16. ChallengeThe same extra letter is used for two different ages
  17. Resolutionרבא: these laws are traditions only leaned on the verse
  18. QuestionWhich law is from the verse and which is from tradition?
  19. RejectionThe first option fails because the verse sets no age
  20. ResponseThe three-year law is the tradition; the one-day-old law is from the verse
  21. ChallengeIf it is a tradition, why do we need a verse?