Niddah 40a

נדה מ׳ ע״א

Learn Niddah 40a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

יוצא דופן (caesarean birth): the מחלוקת between the רבנן and רבי שמעון about the laws of a יולדת, the פסוקים each side uses, and רבי יוחנן's rule that a יוצא דופן animal cannot become קדשים

Overview

The משנה teaches three rules. First, the רבנן say a caesarean birth (יוצא דופן) does not give the mother the days of טומאה and טהרה or the קרבן of a יולדת, while רבי שמעון says it counts like a normal birth. Second, a woman becomes טמאה once blood reaches the בית החיצון, but a זב and a בעל קרי become טמא only when the discharge leaves the body, in any amount. The גמרא then traces each side's sources. The רבנן use ״תזריע״ to exclude a caesarean birth and ״תלד״ to include a טומטום and an אנדרוגינוס. רבי שמעון uses ״תלד״ for a caesarean birth and ״לבן או לבת״ for the טומטום. The two sides also differ on which words teach that separate births need separate קרבנות: ״זאת״ for רבי שמעון, ״לבן או לבת״ for the רבנן. רבי יוחנן adds that even רבי שמעון agrees an animal born by caesarean cannot become קדשים, learning it from בכור rather than אדם because בכור shares more features with קדשים. Finally, a ברייתא of רבי יהודה is brought to support רבי יוחנן, and it continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (30)

1. StatementA caesarean birth and the laws of a יולדת
2. StatementWomen become impure from blood inside, men only once it comes out
3. StatementThe כהן eating תרומה who feels an emission coming
4. QuestionWhat is the reason of the רבנן about caesarean birth?
5. ResponseThe source: she must give birth from the place where she conceives
6. QuestionWhat does רבי שמעון do with the word תזריע?
7. Responseתזריע teaches about a fetus that dissolved before birth
8. QuestionWhat is רבי שמעון's source for counting a caesarean birth?
9. ResponseThe extra word תלד includes a caesarean birth
10. QuestionWhat do the רבנן learn from תלד?
11. ResponseThe רבנן use תלד to include a טומטום and an אנדרוגינוס
12. QuestionWhere does רבי שמעון learn the טומטום case?
13. Responseרבי שמעון learns it from לבן and לבת
14. QuestionWhat do the רבנן do with ״לבן או לבת״?
15. ResponseThe רבנן: a separate קרבן for every child
16. QuestionWhere does רבי שמעון learn this rule?
17. ResponseThe ברייתא on ״זאת תורת היולדת״
18. ChallengeThat can't be the question: blood and חלב need their own קרבן
19. ResolutionThe corrected ברייתא: a birth before and a birth after מלאת
20. Responseרבנן still need ״לבן או לבת״ even with ״זאת״
21. ResponseWhy ״לבן או לבת״ is still needed: twins from one pregnancy
22. Statementרבי שמעון agrees a יוצא דופן animal cannot become holy
23. ResponseThe reason: learning ״לידה״ from בכור
24. ChallengeWhy not learn from a human birth instead?
25. Resolutionבכור is the better match: both say ״אמו״
26. ChallengeOn the contrary: ordinary from ordinary
27. ResolutionFive features shared by בכור and קדשים
28. ChallengeFour features shared by human births and קדשים
29. ConclusionThe side with more shared features wins
30. ProofA ברייתא of רבי יהודה that supports רבי יוחנן begins