Gemara Clarity

Niddah 34b

נדה ל״ד ע״ב

Learn Niddah 34b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Niddah 34b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

A נכרי's semen, a מצורעת's דם טהרה, and the first discharge of a minor זב and of a מצורע

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a ברייתא: a Jew's שכבת זרע is טמא wherever it is, but a נכרי's is טהור wherever it is, except for urine mixed in with it. Since that urine is only טמא מדרבנן, the גמרא proves that a נכרי's semen is pure even מדרבנן. The ברייתא cannot settle רב פפא's question about a Jew's semen inside a גויה, because he was asking about the time after three days, and that question ends in תיקו. Next the גמרא explains the dispute in the משנה about a מצורעת's דם טהרה. בית הלל learn from ״לַזָּכָר וְלַנְּקֵבָה״, using a קל וחומר and אם אינו ענין, that her דם טהרה is impure. בית שמאי break the קל וחומר, or say ״לַזָּכָר״ is needed to include a minor זב. The גמרא then proves that a minor זב's first discharge makes things impure by touch, just like an adult's. Finally, רב יוסף asks whether a מצורע's first discharge makes things impure by carrying, and רבא begins a proof that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וַאֲפִילּוּ בִּמְעֵי גּוֹיָה.

even inside a non-Jewish woman.

וְשֶׁל נׇכְרִי טְהוֹרָה בְּכׇל מָקוֹם,

And that of a non-Jew is pure in every place,

וַאֲפִילּוּ בִּמְעֵי יִשְׂרְאֵלִית,

even inside a Jewish woman,

חוּץ מִמֵּי רַגְלַיִם שֶׁבָּהּ.

except for the urine that is in it.

The steps (27)

  1. ProofThe ברייתא: a Jew's semen is impure everywhere, a נכרי's is pure everywhere
  2. RejectionMaybe the ברייתא only means pure by Torah law
  3. ChallengeThe urine is only rabbinically impure
  4. ConclusionConclusion: a נכרי's semen is pure even rabbinically
  5. ProofTrying to answer רב פפא's question from the ברייתא
  6. Rejectionרב פפא asked only about after three days
  7. QuestionThe two sides of the question about a non-Jewish woman
  8. ConclusionThe question stays unresolved
  9. QuestionWhat is בית הלל's source for the blood of a מצורעת?
  10. Responseרבי יצחק: the source is "male" and "female"
  11. ChallengeWhich "flows" of the female are meant?
  12. Resolution"Her flows" means her blood of טהרה
  13. QuestionAnd how do בית שמאי read the verse?
  14. Responseבית שמאי: the female cannot be learned from the male
  15. Challengeבית הלל: the male can be learned from the female
  16. ConclusionThe extra word teaches that her דם טהרה is impure
  17. Rejectionבית שמאי break the קל וחומר
  18. Challengeבית הלל: that refutation comes from the wrong topic
  19. Resolutionבית שמאי: both are kinds of impurity
  20. ResolutionAnother answer: בית שמאי need ״לַזָּכָר״ to include even a young boy
  21. Resolutionבית הלל learn about minors from a different פסוק
  22. Questionריש לקיש asks: does a young זב's first discharge make things impure by touch?
  23. QuestionThe two sides of ריש לקיש's question
  24. Proofרבא's proof: a minor is like an adult, so his first discharge makes things impure
  25. QuestionDoes a leper's first discharge make things impure by carrying?
  26. Proofרבא brings the verse 'his discharge is impure'
  27. QuestionWhich case is the verse talking about?