Gemara Clarity

Niddah 32b

נדה ל״ב ע״ב

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

Open Niddah 32b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Young children and the laws of נדה and זיבה, which discharges make a man or a woman impure, and the bedding of a בועל נדה compared to a זב.

Overview

The גמרא explains that the extra word "ואשה" in the נדה verse teaches that a man is not impure through a red discharge. It shows that a ten-day-old girl's זיבה needs its own verse, and that this verse already tells us a baby girl can be a נדה, since there is no זבה without נדה. That leaves the נדה verse free to exclude a man from red; a second exclusion covers blood as well as red semen. Next, a ברייתא teaches that even a one-day-old boy can be a זב, either from "איש איש" (רבי יהודה) or from "לזכר ולנקבה" (רבי ישמעאל בנו של רבי יוחנן בן ברוקה). Another ברייתא includes a boy in the laws of semen only from nine years and one day. רבא settles the clash: the nine-year rule is a tradition from סיני, the baby rule comes from the פסוק, and the extra word teaches that a white discharge does not make a woman a זבה. A צריכותא explains why the baby rule is written for both boys and girls. Finally, the גמרא explains the משנה about כותים: bedding under a בועל נדה is like bedding above a זב, making only food and drink impure. It then starts to find the source in the פסוק "תחתיו", and the answer continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

לְמַעוֹטֵי אִישׁ מֵאוֹדֶם.

To exclude a man from red.

וְהָא דְּתַנְיָא:

But what about that which was taught:

אִשָּׁה — אֵין לִי אֶלָּא אִשָּׁה,

"Woman": I have only a woman,

בַּת עֲשָׂרָה יָמִים לְזִיבָה מִנַּיִן?

from where do we know that a ten-day-old girl is subject to זיבה?

The steps (25)

  1. ResolutionThe extra verse comes to exclude a man from red discharge
  2. ChallengeA ברייתא uses "ואשה" for a ten-day-old זבה. Why not learn it from נדה?
  3. ResolutionThe זבה verse is needed: זיבה is more lenient than נדה
  4. ChallengeThen write only זבה, and נדה would be known from it
  5. ConclusionAgreed, so the נדה verse excludes a man from red
  6. ChallengeBut the תורה already excluded this once
  7. ResolutionOne exclusion is for semen, one is for blood
  8. StatementEven a one-day-old boy can become a זב
  9. StatementSame law, different source: "לזכר ולנקבה"
  10. ChallengeOne day old or nine years old?
  11. Resolutionרבא: These are traditions only hinted at in the verses
  12. QuestionWhich rule is the tradition and which is the verse?
  13. RejectionThe one-day-old rule cannot be the tradition
  14. ResponseThe nine-year rule is the tradition and the baby rule is from the verse
  15. ChallengeIf it is a tradition, why do we need the verse?
  16. ResolutionThe verse excludes a woman from a white discharge
  17. ChallengeWhy teach the baby rule for both males and females?
  18. ResolutionBoth are needed: men are stricter because of sightings in one day
  19. ResolutionWhy the girls' verse alone would not be enough
  20. StatementThe משנה's rule about כותים and bedding
  21. QuestionWhat does 'lower like upper' mean?
  22. RejectionThe stack-of-mattresses reading is too obvious
  23. ResponseBedding under a בועל נדה is like bedding above a זב
  24. QuestionWhere do we learn the rule about bedding above a זב?
  25. ResponseThe source begins with the פסוק about 'under him'