Gemara Clarity

Niddah 35b

נדה ל״ה ע״ב

Learn Niddah 35b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

רבי יצחק's teaching about a זב and רב הונא; the unimmersed יולדת; and the dispute between רב and לוי over one source of blood or two.

Overview

The amud opens by finishing רבי יצחק's teaching: the separate section on a זב makes him easier in one way (he is not made impure through אונס) and stricter in another (he makes משכב ומושב impure). The גמרא first reads this as being about the first sighting, which would contradict רב הונא. It then rereads it as being about the second sighting, so רב הונא's rule stands. רב הונא also describes how זוב looks different from שכבת זרע. Next the גמרא turns to the משנה about a יולדת who did not immerse. A ברייתא shows בית הלל and בית שמאי trading proofs, and the גמרא settles which case they argue about: a יולדת בזוב who counted her clean days. Then רב (one source of blood) and לוי (two sources that take turns) argue about the blood after childbirth, and they rule differently when the flow keeps going past a boundary day. The גמרא tests both views against the משנה and finds a way to explain it under each one. It finally brings a ברייתא on דותה תטמא that fits רב, and the challenge against לוי continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

שֶׁהוּא עוֹשֶׂה מִשְׁכָּב וּמוֹשָׁב.

that he makes bedding and seats impure.

אֵימַת? אִילֵּימָא בִּרְאִיָּיה שְׁנִיָּה —

When? If we say at the second sighting —

הֵיכָא הֲוָה בִּכְלַל בַּעַל קֶרִי?

where was he ever included in the category of one with a seminal emission?

אֶלָּא פְּשִׁיטָא בִּרְאִיָּיה רִאשׁוֹנָה,

Rather, it is obvious he means the first sighting,

The steps (33)

  1. StatementEnd of רבי יצחק's teaching: the זב's stringency
  2. Challengeרבי יצחק must mean the first sighting, contradicting רב הונא
  3. RejectionThe stringency cannot be about the first sighting
  4. ResolutionRereading רבי יצחק as talking about the second sighting
  5. StatementHow זוב looks compared to שכבת זרע
  6. StatementNew topic: blood of a woman who gave birth but did not immerse
  7. Proofבית הלל compare her to a נדה who did not immerse
  8. Rejectionבית שמאי reject the comparison to a נדה
  9. Proofבית הלל prove their point from a יולדת בזוב
  10. Rejectionבית שמאי say the same rule applies to the יולדת בזוב
  11. ChallengeThe משנה says בית שמאי agree about a יולדת בזוב
  12. ResolutionCounted versus did not count
  13. ProofA ברייתא supports the split
  14. Statementרב: one source, and the תורה decides its status
  15. Statementלוי: two sources that take turns
  16. QuestionWhat difference does it make?
  17. ResponseThe difference: blood that keeps flowing across the boundary
  18. ResponseHow רב rules in these cases
  19. Responseלוי's ruling is the reverse of רב's
  20. ChallengeQuoting the dispute about a יולדת who did not immerse
  21. ChallengeThe משנה fits רב but seems to contradict לוי
  22. Resolutionלוי: the case is a continuous flow
  23. ChallengeThen why are בית שמאי lenient?
  24. Resolutionבית שמאי hold like רב: one source
  25. ChallengeUnder רב, what are בית שמאי and בית הלל arguing about?
  26. ResolutionThey argue about days alone versus days plus immersion
  27. ChallengeThe next line of the משנה: a woman who gave birth while a זבה
  28. ChallengeThis line fits רב but seems to contradict לוי
  29. Resolutionלוי says the משנה is about a continuous flow
  30. ChallengeWhy would the משנה need to teach something so obvious?
  31. ResolutionThe משנה is needed to limit בית שמאי's rule
  32. ProofA ברייתא: the three things included by דְּוֹתָהּ תִּטְמָא
  33. ChallengeThe ברייתא fits רב, who says there is one source